Bright Like a Diamond
by Naksa
Summary: Tori Vega has a clear picture of what her college life will be like after Hollywood Arts. This picture doesn't include dealing with all the pain and grief left over from her sister's thoughtless choices. And nowhere in it has she figured that she would impact someone enough to save them from their own demons. But sometimes the best things in life are the most unexpected.
1. Of Expectations and Frozen Fright

**Chapter 1. Of Expectations and Frozen Fright**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

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 **...**

 **The Asphalt Cafe - December 9th, Senior Year**

 **...**

"You ever wonder where they came up with the idea of sushi?" Andre asked, marveling at the roll that he twirled around with his chopsticks.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, like were they sitting around all asking themselves how best they could use raw fish. Like a bunch of dudes were all sitting in a circle, one guy with a big bag of rice, another one with a bunch of chopped vegetables, and then a third dude walks up to them and is like, 'Let's combine all this together.'" Andre leaned back slightly as the group sat around the table, the two chopsticks in his hand keeping steady the tuna roll, admiring it as though it were a piece of priceless art.

Beck looked down at his own lunch, an assortment of various rolls, poking at one another with his chopsticks, as if playing a game of Eenie meenie miney mo to determine which one he'd eat next. After a couple of seconds of playing this game, he finally settled upon a crab roll, though it was promptly taken by Jade who didn't even bother to use chopsticks, picking it up with her fingers and gleefully swallowing it whole. Giving a weak frown at his girlfriend, he turned his attention back towards Andre, who's theory had the rest of the group in deep thought. "Well I mean, they were probably like of their day how the infomercial is now for us. You know, something that nobody expected to become big but then suddenly exploded and will carry on for generations and generations."

Tori looked down at her salad again, her eyes every so often teetering towards the small trays before Andre and Beck, her conscious wanting her to regret opting against getting the sushi. "What if it wasn't intentional at all? Like, imagine this." Tori said as she discarded her fork, taking the opportunity to grab Andre's food as a means both of demonstration – but equally to take it for herself. "So like, there's this fishmonger who likes in this village and he catches all this fish and stuff. But his wife is sick, like seriously sick."

"The fishmonger's wife? What's she sick with?" Robbie asked, having finished his third gluten-free cookie. Since Hollywood Arts had begun pushing more variety and options for those of particular diets, lunch was becoming far more of an enjoyable period of the day, though more often than not the selections did not compare to that of the cookies.

Tori stared at Robbie for a moment. "Does it matter?"

"Yeah. I mean, it could just be a cold or maybe she's got something serious like frozen fright." Beck added.

"Frozen fright?" Andre chimed in. "You mean like when you get so scared that you just freeze?"

"You know, it's like a rapid cold that you get. First you get really cold and then you start to get all panicked and once you're freaked out then it completely freezes you."

"Aw, so the fishmonger's wife has frozen fright?" Cat frowned slightly as the sadness attribute was audible to it.

Tori lifted her arms in confusion at how the conversation had gone astray, "No! She doesn't have frozen fright, if that's even a real thing."

Cat immediately perked up at hearing this, "Yay!"

Robbie piped in, "So if the fishmonger's wife doesn't have frozen fright, what does she have?"

Jade unashamedly grabbed another of Beck's sushi, again in the same barbaric manner of using no chopsticks. "Probably cancer."

"Oh come on, I'm just trying to tell a story and you have to go and be like, let's be as dark and depressing as possible?" Tori interjected. She could only shake her head disapprovingly at the gleeful smile on Jade's face, clearly proud of how she got Tori to react. Unfortunately, if she protested it, it would probably mean more and more time devoted to them trying to diagnose the fishmonger's wife, so she reluctantly conceded. "Fine, she's got cancer. Happy?"

Almost as if on cue, pretty much everyone at the table save for Tori and Jade all contributed with low pitched "Awww."

Andre then contributed, further delaying Tori's story. "But wait, what kind of cancer?"

Tori dejectedly tossed her arms onto the table, "I don't know. Toe cancer."

And again, there came another "Awww" from the group.

"So anyways, the fishmonger's wife has toe cancer. And the fishmonger is like, 'these fish I'm getting aren't big enough to pay for my wife's medicine.' So he's gotta get bigger fish, but he doesn't have time to try to catch more of them. So instead of trying to catch bigger fish, he instead stuffs them with vegetables from their garden."

Jade leaned forward a bit, becoming more interested of the darker elements to the story. "I'm starting to like this story."

"Now, the fishmonger has all these heavy fish and he sells them to this one guy who's going to make some fish stew. So he takes his heavy fish home and begins to cut them up and he notices the vegetables falling out. And you know, he's feeling adventurous, so he eats the piece of fish, vegetables and all, and he's thinking, 'This is amazing.' Then he begins to sell the idea to people and boom, sushi."

Cat clapped her hands at the story, but then stopped for a moment, looking directly at Tori from across the table. "But wait, what happened to the fishmonger's wife?"

Tori seemed to have a blank expression upon her face, shrugging her shoulders, "They got her her medicine and she was all better!"

"Yay!" Cat exclaimed as she clapped excitedly, stopping shortly after, realizing that nobody had joined her.

The quietness that followed seemed to persist for a short time actually. Andre finally realized that Tori had eaten several of his rolls, leaving him contemplating whether to go wait on line to get more or to take Tori's salad in retaliation, though neither option seemed particularly exciting. Beck begrudgingly shared his food with Jade, demanding that she use the chopsticks rather than touching each one of them, which brought a bit of entertainment in itself, watching her struggle to use them.

"Have you never used chopsticks before," Andre asked, but not before swatting Tori's hand away as she stealthily moved her fork in the direction of his last roll. "No," his tone childish yet at the same time sincere.

Jade glared across the table at Andre. "No." Seeing the surprised expression on Andre's face only seemed to infuriate the girl, "What? Is that such a huge revelation for you? Jade West unfamiliar with chopsticks, news at 10!" She mockingly exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air for further effect. The feeling of a hand gently patting against her back seemed to have a calming effect to her.

"There, there. No need to get upset," Beck consoled, his words gently flowing, seeming to behave like a relaxant to Jade. As it seemed Jade was finally content and calmed down enough, he leaned over slightly, wrapping around her body as he elegantly plucked the chopsticks out of Jade's hands, it all seeming to happen in a single motion. As the final piece, he took possession of one of the few pieces left on his place and popped it right in his mouth, the entire time smiling at his girlfriend.

"That's real nice," Jade said, her annoyed tone seeming to immediate return to the forefront, though it was quickly calmed down as the corners of Beck's lips lowered as he moved his head forward, just enough to plant his lips upon her own.

Tori rolled her eyes at the mushiness displayed between the two, "Ugh, can you two just get a room?"

Jade parted her lips from Beck's to stare down the half-Latina, "Does that bother you?" she asked with a disingenuous tone.

Tori nodded her head, "A little."

This only prompted Jade to wickedly smile, "Good." She then returned the kiss to Beck, putting more passion behind it, hoping that it would cause Tori to walk away, or better yet, vomit. Perhaps even better than that, vomit and leave!

Robbie, who the group had at this point seemed to have forgotten about, had left and picked up another few gluten free cookies, letting their wrappers accumulate further and further into a large pile before him. As he began to tear open another wrapper and take his seat, he couldn't help but notice the interactions between Tori and Jade. "You would think after almost three years she would be used to this."

Andre quickly looked at the garbage heap Robbie was creating, smirking as his eyes darted up to see him eat what was probably his fourth or fifth cookie by this point. "Hey you know, some things just never change. I think once we graduate we're actually gonna miss seeing the valuable romantic elements that the two of them provide."

Tori paused, looking at Andre briefly with denial on her face before shaking her head, rejecting the idea that her friend had entered into her head. "Ew, no! If I really wanted romantic elements," she said as she raised her hands, creating air quotes with her fingers for further emphasis, "then I would just go and watch Days of Our Lives or something."

At hearing Tori mention the soap opera, Cat's eyes seemed to light up as she turned towards her friend, "Oh I love that show!"

It was at around this point that Andre got up from the table, lifting up the backpack and tossing it over his shoulder. "Well, gentlemen. Ladies. I am tapped out."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Tori asked.

Andre shrugged his shoulders, lightly nodding his head, "Yeah."

Tori's eyes widened in surprise. "You can't leave!" Never in the years that their group had been together had had Andre skipped class. Plus the randomness of it didn't really make sense. They had lucked out and all had gotten the latest lunch period possible – no doubt partially attributed to them being seniors – which meant that they only had one class left before their school day ended. If any of them were going to leave school early, the idea of waiting until after lunch just to get out of one class would be as Jade described it, 'stupid and pointless.'

"Ah come on. I'm tired, besides I'm sure that there's anything important than Beck can just give me the assignment tonight at your house." Andre proposed.

"Sorry man, after that final bell my brain turns off until Monday. So I doubt I'll even remember what we were given by the end of next period, let alone by tonight." Beck countered, not even bothering to turn around to meet Andre, instead just getting parting the loose strands of hair that would fall in front of Jade's face.

Andre found it surprisingly that in this situation, Beck would be taking Tori's side, which was ironic given Beck's propensity of skipping class, sometimes as soon as after he was accounted for in homeroom. "You really gonna leave a brother hanging?" He said, hoping to be as 'fly' as he could.

Beck by this point had turned around now, lifting his head up to look directly at Andre, a wide, almost cartoonish smile on his face. "Word, dawg." Andre seemed only able to respond with a dejected sigh.

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 **...**

 **Sikowitz's Classroom**

 **...**

Slouched against the back of his chair, Andre lifted his arms behind his head to both help support and keep himself awake. "You know, I could be starting my weekend already. Sitting back, feet up, glass of strawberry milk, and get some much needed snuggle time with my pillow."

Jade rolled her eyes, "Just the idea of you snuggling with your pillow. That's about as scary as… as… as Tori's acting!"

Tori turned around in her chair to face Jade, an offended look on her face, "How rude!"

"Now now, children! No need for violence. That's what recess is for!" Sikowitz laughed halfheartedly, similar to a father laughing to his own joke, even going as far as to slap his knee for added effect. That quickly stopped when he realized that he was the only person who was laughing. "Yes, well… So class, what can you tell me about this?" Similar to on a game show when a prize is being highlighted, Sikowitz threw his hands out onto the structure on his desk.

The class was silent.

Sikowitz frowned. "Really? Nobody has any opinion on this? Come on now. I understand that it's Friday, but you could at least show some sort of effort!"

"Is that sheet supposed to be covering it?" Beck asked, probably asking the question that many of the students were wondering.

Sikowitz looked at Beck for a moment, the two of them basically having a staring contest for a moment. He then shifted his focus onto the structure which he had highlighted only a moment ago, noticing that it was, in fact, covered by a large white sheet. "Oh so it is!" Facing the class, he quickly pulled the sheet away, revealing what he was originally intending to show them. "Now then, what can you tell me about this!?"

The looks on the faces of the kids seemed to show confusion, unsure if this was a trick or not.

Robbie broke the silence, weakly lifting his hand up to answer, "It's a bunch of erasers?"

"Not quite," Sikowitz countered, which only further made the class confused. On the stage, where there had been a small structure covered by a white sheet, there was now a large cluster of dry board erasers, stacked on top of each other.

"That's exactly what it is." Jade remarked.

"No! Look deeper into it!" Sikowitz exclaimed, "Look at the shape of it! What do you see?" He began to move his hands in a triangle-like motion to try to get his point across better.

Beck took a shot in the dark and spoke the first thing that came to his mind, his teacher's games starting to get old, "A pyramid of erasers?"

Sikowitz clapped his hands as a large smile appeared on his face, "Exactly! Thank you Beck! Now, we can get to the actual lesson of today. When I showed you this, what did you think of it?"

Tori, who up until now had been quiet, threw in her two cents, it being apparent that unless they were Sikowitz, it'd be impossible to tell where he was going with this, "I don't know. It was different."

"Anything else?"

"Kinda weird," Andre chimed in.

"Alright. Now can we be a bit more specific? Maybe about walking into class and seeing this. That initial reaction you thought?"

"Nutty," Jade remarked.

Sikowitz finally gave up in trying to gauge the reactions of his students, "Unexpected! When you come into a classroom, the last thing you expect is to see someone create a pyramid. And of erasers no less!"

"Aren't there other things which would be more unexpected? Like, a monkey wearing a sombrero?" Robbie offered, which to his surprise and that of the class, was met with an eraser that was thrown right at him, narrowly missing his head. "Ouch!"

Jade laughed, but her glee was quickly silenced with an eraser being thrown her way, hitting her shoulder. "Hey!" She barked out.

Tori couldn't help but gloat at this, pointing and jokingly laughing at Jade's expense. She was so engrossed in this though that she didn't see the eraser being thrown at her, hitting her also in the ribs. Turning back towards Sikowitz, she simply held her mouth open in apparent shock.

"Ha!" Jade kept the cycle going, laughing now at Tori's expense, but unlike her didn't take her focus off of their teacher, being aware enough to lift up her bag to block the eraser that was coming right for her! "Will you stop that!?" At this point her tone had gone from being just annoyed to that of an angry shout.

Sikowitz smiled. "Very good Jade. If I were grading you all with stars, you would get a gold star." Hearing this, a smug smile appeared on her face. "But, because you did allow yourself to get hit, I'd have to take it away and instead give you a silver star." Jade's smile weakened as a smirk formed upon Tori's face. "Tori and Robbie though, unfortunately I would have to give you both no stars."

Tori let out a disappointed sigh, "Aww."

The teacher took several of the erasers and began to indiscriminately toss them up over the heads of the students, causing some to wonder what Sikowitz was trying to accomplish while others sought to take cover. "When we play too much according to the script, to the typical path that our audience expects us to go, things become boring. It becomes routine. Robbie gets struck by an eraser, it's something that happens. Jade gets hit next, and we start to realize there's a chance more people can be hit." Sikowitz reached for one of the remaining erasers, smirking at the sight of some students flinching in their seats. "By then, you could probably say that it wasn't that much of a shocker that Tori was hit. Three times people spoke, three times people got hit by a ruler. You have a pattern. Unfortunately, too often, be it in a play, a television show, or what have you, if your audience can identify the pattern, some of the magic disappears."

"I don't know, I'd still probably find it entertaining if Tori got hit again," Jade chimed in.

Tori frowned, "I wouldn't!"

Sikowitz ignored both of the girls, "Now then, we're going to do a few exercises on being unexpected. As I point to you, I want you to call out a number, starting with the number two."

"Two?" Beck asked.

"What about one?" Andre added.

Sikowitz smiled. "Because you'd expect that!" Jade and Andre found both of themselves face palming at this explanation. "Now, starting with you Beck."

Beck sighed, "Two."

"Three," Tori continued.

"Four," Jade spoke.

"Five!" Cat exclaimed.

"Six," Andre added, continuing the cycle.

"Seven," Robbie piped in. When Sikowitz kept his attention on Robbie, gesturing his hand in a circular motion to indicating he was waiting, it finally dawned on him.

"Eight," the voice of Rex echoed through the room, causing Tori to giggle very slightly, particularly at the irony of it, that Sikowitz would recognize Rex as someone in the class but Robbie in that moment didn't, which in itself could have been a scenario reversed.

 _Oh, that's why. He's trying to not be predictable. I get it._ Tori flashed an accomplished smile as her mind worked out what was going on, her mind hopeful that she had a grasp on what to expect from here on out. She reflected in this sense of accomplishment as the class continued to count on, one by one, until every single person had a number assigned to them.

"Excellent! Now then, let's begin!" Sikowitz clapped excitedly as he reached into his pocket, fumbling around, a look of panic almost enveloping his face at the prospect of forgetting whatever it was he was looking for. "Ah, there we go!" He excitedly proclaimed as he pulled out two pairs of six-sided dice, both in different colors, red and blue, similar to those found in board games. "Now then, the first two will be," his voice trailed as he gently tossed the dice, watching as they rolled across the stage, watching intently as they continued along, only seeming to slow down after they rolled over the edge of the stage, stopping upon landing on the hard ground. Walking over towards them, he knelt down, careful as to ensure he did not accidentally move them. "Six and three. How about that. Tori, Andre, come on up."

The two of them began to get up, slowly though, as the earlier incidents with the erasers showed that there wasn't any clear cut idea of what to expect today, and neither wanted to be pelted. Their hesitation wasn't much appreciated by their teacher, "Well, come on now, we don't have all day." The two of them got to the stage quickly, though were a bit confused given the fact that Sikowitz had seemed to have forgotten about them as he had stepped off the stage, retreating to the back of the classroom. It wasn't until Tori attempted to get his attention but gently tossing one of the remaining erasers at his general vicinity that he seemed to recall the assignment in the first place, though still not before scolding Tori. "Tori! Don't throw things! You could hurt someone!"

Tori's jaw dropped in awe at the apparent double standard displayed, "But… but you threw-" The swift hand gesture of Sikowitz was to get her to stop pleading her case, lest perhaps she get hit with the eraser that she had thrown only moments earlier.

"Now then, for this exercise, you two will act out a scene. It can be about anything you want, any topic, but there is one rule. You must be unpredictable. Include a twist that nobody may see coming, give the plot a different element, whatever you would like. Just do not get caught in a typical clitche which we've seen so often in television and on stage. Now Tori, you begin!"

Tori stood silently for a moment, thinking about what exactly they were going to do for a scene. She loved the exercises where they were given free reign, but the unpredictable stipulation was the one thing that could have presented a challenge. _Hmm. So like, should I just go with the first thing that comes into my head?_ Her mind raced, so many different possible situations that they could have started off with, until one in particular that she seemed to narrow in on.

"And… action!" Sikowitz yelled from across the room.

With no time wasted, Tori closed the distance between her and Andre, her feet never seeming to even lift off the ground, her hands tightly gripping at the collar of his shirt, pulling it slightly in her direction. "Oh professor, we only have a few moments before the Martians break down the door and try to capture us! What do we do?"

"Oh, a Martian invasion! Interesting." The teacher further contributed.

Andre seemed to quickly get an idea as to how to proceed, taking hold of Tori's head on either side and moving it into his shoulder, similar to as if he were consoling her – which he had done in the past. Unlike those times though, he continued to look outwards, paying no direction attention or focus towards her, "Do not worry my dear! In just a minute the transmogrification machine I constructed will turn us both into earthworms. Once we've changed, we will escape through the cracks in the damage wall following the radioactive monkey attack!"

 _Radioactive monkey attack? Earthworms? Here I thought that I was being a bit creative with a Martian attack, and he gives me this? Crud._ Tori tried to come up with an idea as quickly as possible, as she had noticed Sikowitz seeming to look at his watch after each of them had gone, checking to see how long it took before they came up with something new. She pushed herself free from Andre, fixating her gaze to the ground, an almost dejected look on her face. "But, that does not solve the issue of your wife? If we are to run away together as earthworms, how will your wife react? If the stories are true and she has aligned herself with the Bird Army, can we really expect her love of you to outweigh her new found loyalty, especially under these circumstances?" _Nice going Tori, adding a little political drama to the story. Go me for binging Game of Thrones!_

Sikowitz rose his eyebrows in surprise, a smile on his face at how Tori was seeming to completely throw out conventional storytelling. This exercise was proving to be a success.

Placing a hand on Tori's shoulder, causing her to very slightly jump in shock, Andre used it as an anchor to move closer, still staying behind her. "I wouldn't worry too much. As dangerous as the Bird Army is, certainly the Martians will recognize the threat that they pose. We will use that to our advantage, escaping during the fighting, take one of their ships and then travel to the North Pole, where Pope Santa will offer us safety!"

There was a good bit of laughter coming from the students watching the performance. If this exercise was going to teach the class only one thing, it was at least that they could get afford to get away with quite a bit of insanity, especially if it's acted convincingly enough.

Tori quickly turned around to face Andre, her face of panic and concern, her hands gently gripping at his shoulders, "Santa has not forgiven my family since my grandmother sold his underwater hockey team to the Easter Bunny so the Muffin Man could be elected as Chancellor of the Clouds. I can't imagine him helping us, especially after we ignored his invitation to the last sleepover…" For as weird as some of Sikowitz's exercises have been, this one is definitely up there on the fun factor… and the weirdness.

Andre and Tori continued along with the exercise, somehow managing to continually change things up and not only leave each of them curious as to what the other might do next, but pretty much have everyone in the class giving up on trying to figure them out. From competitive pumpkin rolling to a religion devoted to the eating of only yellow Skittles in the morning and red Skittles at night, the two of them had warped the story in so many ways it was likely they forgot what they may have been talking about only two or three tries earlier. What neither of them had noticed, nor anyone in the class for that matter, was that Sikowitz had spent the last several minutes not focused at all on their performance, but was instead wholly involved in what seemed like a rather heated conversation with the Hollywood Arts principal, Helen Dubois. As their conversation seemed to come to an end, he quickly chucked the eraser that Tori had thrown earlier at the stage, "End scene!"

Between Sikowitz's yelling drowning out the voices of those on stage and the velocity at which he had thrown the eraser as it smashed against the remaining erasers, it caused Tori to literally jump up in panic, letting out a high-pitched yelp to go along with it. With adrenaline pumping through her body and her heart racing, Tori looked up at Sikowitz, her face of bewilderment and confusion. "Why!?" She whined, throwing her arms up in a bewildered confusion.

"Tori Vega! I want you in my office! Now!" It was then that Helen's voice boomed through the classroom, causing everyone in their seat to turn around to face her, their focus switching back and forth between her and Tori, whose face seemed to be pale white as blood drained from it quickly. What!? What did I do? She was needless to say, confused. Never had she been called into Helen's office before. Trina, that was a different story, but Tori had made sure as to not follow her older sister's footsteps in that regard. She stood there on stage for a moment, unsure if it were a mistake or honestly what to think really. "Do I look like I'm playing around? Let's go." Helen's voice was cold, there being no humor or any even friendliness to it, which only further terrified Tori.

Grabbing her things as she left the room, she quickly turned her head to face her friends, the expressions on their faces – Jade's included – all seeming to share the same confusion that was going through her head. As she exited the room and the door slammed shut behind her, all she could feel was utter terror, of what was to come, of not knowing why Helen was singling her out, and what she could have done to illicit this sort of attention.

 _What did I do?_

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 **A/N: So here's the first chapter of what I hope will end up being an entertaining story to read!**

 **Hope you guys enjoy it! Reviews, feedback, critiques, criticisms, they are all welcome!**


	2. Conviction Without Indictment

**Chapter 2. Conviction Without Indictment**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

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 **Hollywood Arts - December 9th, Senior Year**

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In the years that Tori Vega had been going to Hollywood Arts, there were times that it felt like the days were going slow, that time was just dragging on regardless if she were watching the clock or not. And yet, for all of those days, for when it seemed like falling asleep in class was an impossible thing to avoid, they seemed to fly by in comparison to how she was feeling right now. Following behind Principal Helen, only a few feet separating the two of them, it seemed as though she were constricted, her body unable to move, her legs unable to move beyond following at the pace that they were moving. To make matters worse, any attempt at trying to find out why she was dragged out of class was met by a quick and forceful dismissal.

 _What'd I do? I've never been in trouble before!_ Tori's mind raced as her eyes darted around, doing whatever she could to not actually look at Helen, hoping that if she did not see her then it wouldn't be happening. _Did Jade do something to set me up? Get someone to lie for her? No, she wouldn't do that. I mean, she might say things like that, but she wouldn't. Maybe a year or two ago, but not now. Maybe Rex?_ She almost found herself chuckling to herself at the idea that a puppet might have actually tried to set her up to get in trouble, but managed to catch herself, lifting her hand quickly enough to cover her mouth.

It was right then that the girl realized it was by no means a joke, as at the slightest noise escaped from her mouth, Helen suddenly jerked and stopped in her tracks, the suddenness of it almost causing Tori to walk directly into her. Thankfully too, she managed to catch herself from doing this, though it resulted in her backtracking as quickly as possible, the swinging of momentum causing her to fall backwards, landing right on her behind. Wincing slightly from the impact with the hard ground, she opened her eyes to see the pointed finger of Helen's, aimed directly at Tori's face, a stern, if not angry look upon her face. "Do you think this is some game little girl?" Her voice boomed, the tone making it difficult to tell if she were angrier at her or upset at the whole situation – whatever it may have been.

Tori found herself paralyzed with fear at such a brief encounter. Granted, there were more than a few times over the last few years that she had been afraid, such as when the gang had decided to go cliff jumping at the nearby quarry and she feared that she didn't jump far enough and was going to hit the rocks that jettisoned from the cliff. Or the time that they were performing an improv sketch on the stage and one of the flood lights that they commonly used broke and fell only about a foot away from where she was standing. Had she been any closer or even so much as half a measure off beat, and she may not be standing – or seated as it were right now -, let alone being at Hollywood Arts anymore. And of course, there were the few situations, a few particularly frightening events that had to do with Trina, but Tori preferred not to think too much about those times. The less she thought about them, the better. But right now, with Helen standing so close to her, towering over her, giving her a look of death, one that mirrored the looks that Jade used to give her. But comparing Jade to the woman who was there now, it was like comparing a kitten to a stalking panther.

"I said, do you think this is a game?" Helen's voice again boomed, this time it seeming like she didn't want to give Tori the opportunity to answer. Just the very silence, the panic in Tori's face, it was as condemning as saying "Yes, I do not believe you are serious and I consider this whole encounter to be a joke." The two of them just exchanged looks for a moment, Helen's eyes cold while Tori's were soft, struggling just to maintain contact without having the urge to throw up. After a few moments – which seemed to just go on and on, with Tori thinking that Helen could see right through her – the large woman finally turned and proceeded again towards her office, maintaining the same stride and speed at which she was moving previously, not even waiting for Tori to compose herself, let alone follow behind her.

In the back of her mind, as unlikely as it would might be at this point, she prayed that maybe this was all just a ruse. Maybe Helen was going to have her walk into her office and then surprise her with a scholarship or something! Maybe announce to her that she was the big winner of some concert tickets or something, something that she won in a contest. _Wait, did I even enter any contests? I'm sure I must have at some point. Maybe Cat or Jade signed me up for something. Yeah, that's gotta be it. One of them took my phone number and used it to enter some sort of contest and I won! What kind of contest would they have entered though? A scissors contest for Jade? Do they even have scissor contests? As she had begun following behind Helen again, her mind began to wander though she was conscious enough to ensure that there wouldn't be another instance of her landing on her backside. For that matter, I don't think that anyone really likes scissors that much. Except for Jade of course. So, maybe it's not her._

 _Then it's gotta be Cat. But what sort of contest would she enter? Heh, what contest WOULDN'T she enter is the bigger question. Heck, if it were something like Sky City or something like that, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that she used all of our numbers. Maybe even find a dictionary and just start entering random names. Hmm, come to think of it, I might have to try that at some point. Is that legal? I've never heard of anyone going to jail for that reason, so I guess it might be?_

It was easy to get lost in her head, to just let her thoughts roam freely, like animals in the open jungle. Unfortunately, it was something that had started to become fairly common for Tori, at least in the recent times. Needless to say, it only seemed to further and further have her wishing that the school year was over already and she was getting ready to go to college. It was only December, not even halfway through the year already, and yet it seemed like it had barely been more than a week, probably because she hadn't done much in terms of looking for a college. There were the ones that everyone seemed to be looking at, for the most part being any of the University of California colleges. Then there were the ones that would be the top of the top, Julliard, NYU, schools like that, but she wasn't too keen on going to schools that competitive – or that far away either. So really, it was what was available within California, which she wasn't too against.

But even just right now, it seemed like college was going to be a very distant thing, especially if whatever Helen was going to do to her was as bad as she was making it out to be. She just kept walking, utterly ignoring anyone who might have wandered into the hallway from the classrooms on either side of them. Tori followed behind, mindful of the distance between the two of them, her eyes quickly glancing at whomever might have entered the otherwise barren hallway, paying particular attention to the expressions on their faces. Judging by the looks that they were giving her, it wasn't anything good. Finally, after what seemed like forever though only lasted for perhaps a minute or so, if that, Helen stopped right outside the door to her office. Rather than walking right inside, she simply turned, her eyes glaring at Tori, her mouth shut but her face nevertheless having a demoralizing effect to it.

Tori felt a lump in her throat as she simply looked at the large woman, panicked to speak, a part of her wanting to run away though her legs seeming unable to even move. For several seconds, the two of them simply exchanged glances again, Helen being the one to break contact, moving to the side as she turned the doorknob, pulling the door open. "In," she beckoned, the invitation being far from friendly and instead more like a guard or officer barking orders to a criminal. Knowing that there wasn't anything to do, Tori simply sighed and walked through the open door, her heart sinking slightly to see not only Mr. Anderson but her parents already there, apparently waiting for her.

"Mom? Dad? What are you guys doing here?" Tori asked, more confused than she was scared, at least at the moment. That was not to say that she wasn't worried, as the whole thing was something out of the norm for her, but the fact that now her parents were here, there were a million other things she would have preferred than that. And yet, none of those scenarios were playing out here. Instead, there was Tori Vega, standing in the doorway while her mother and father sat at two of the three chairs laid out across from the heavy leather chair that no doubt Helen was going to occupy. To make matters worse, Tori could clearly see the looks of confusion on her mother's face, while the look she got from her father was one that seemed to blend disappointment and fatigue along with the expected confusion.

"Tori, maybe just sit down, if you would please." Lane responded, his voice seeming to be a bit off. She couldn't entirely put her finger on it, but the tone more seemed like when he was in his concerned guidance counselor attitude rather than his helpful, optimistic facility friend. That, along with the concerned look on Lane's face didn't exactly reassure Tori either and reluctantly, she walked towards the one empty seat positioned between where her two parents sat, but at the same time, being pushed forward to paint her as the focus. As expected, Helen sat herself in the large leather chair that sat across from her desk, but never had she offered Lane a seat. Instead, he simply leaned against the radiator pressed against the wall, his hands extended outwards to support him against the windowsill.

For what seemed like a long while but in reality only lasted for thirty seconds or so, Helen and Tori's parents simply stared at one another, while Tori dejectedly looked down at her feet. Finally, Helen broke the silence, "Mr. and Mrs. Vega, I want to start this off saying that I don't like the idea of calling parents here. It disappoints me that I have to go to such measures." Her voice was stern, her tone not indicating one way or the other how she was feeling, though given how she had been behaving earlier and how Lane was behaving, Tori had to guess that there disappointment to it, a lot of disappointment. "Now, in the three years that she's been here, Tori hasn't once been called to my office, which I commend. It's for that reason, I felt I consult Mr. Anderson first before any further steps were taken."

"Look, Ms… Dubois, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't exactly know why Tori, why either of us are here," Holly Vega began, her voice being rather timid, almost uncertain. "If you could please, bring us up to speed." In a twisted way, this brought a little bit of relief to Tori, knowing that whatever she had supposedly done, that her parents hadn't been alerted, leaving her the odd woman out. But at the same time, just based on what her principal had said, whatever it was it was must have been serious. Just like she said; if Tori hadn't been an angel, well, it was more than likely that this meeting was Lane's doing. If he had not been involved in this process, perhaps it would end up being a lot worse for Tori.

More silence. More damn silence. Tori couldn't understand why it was that Helen didn't just tell them what happened, why she insisted on playing these little games. The longer that it dragged on, the more squeamish Tori found herself. And she didn't even want to imagine how her parents were feeling right now. "Mrs. Vega, as you are no doubt aware, one of the biggest challenges that high schools in the LA area have been facing is increased drug usage. Earlier this morning, our school resource officer found such an individual in possession of drugs on school grounds. He was caught, case closed. However, per procedure when an incident such as this occurs, we take to investigating their lockers, in the event of there being anything that we must find."

Just at the mere mentioning of drugs, Tori had perked her head up and now was wholly paying attention, all the while her mind further racing in confusion. In the time that she had been going to Hollywood Arts, never had she ever done drugs. Even now in her senior year – when students often partied the most and hardest – she had pretty blown off going to parties at this point, focusing instead on keeping up her grades and all the college auditions which were slowly creeping closer and closer.

She was honestly stumped. It made no sense then that she was sitting in Helen's office, being informed about a student being caught with drugs. After all, it wasn't exactly a secret that there were who did drugs on campus, nor was it when one of them were getting caught. Even one or two of her classmates that she knew had been caught, but neither in those cases did she get called down to the principal's office. The contrast between those times and this only further worried Tori, to the point where panic was starting to set in. So much so that she didn't even notice Helen reaching into one of the drawers of her desk, grabbing something from within it.

"When we searched the student's locker… Well, we found this." Tori couldn't see exactly what it was at first, but as Helen extended her hand across her desk, her eyes widened as the object within Helen's hand came into focus – an orange transparent pill bottle, the label attached, a number of white pills bouncing around inside. David Vega took the bottle and examined it over for a moment, his expression going from that of shock to dismay as he passed the bottle onto his wife, who similarly had the same change in expression, hers being more pronounced. When she was finally given an opportunity to see the bottle for herself, Tori could swear that she caught a glance of Helen glaring at her, disappointment prominently showing.

As she stared at the label of the bottle, Tori literally felt her stomach convulsing. She had suspected that there was something that would have been bad about this meeting, but never this. A part of her wanted to believe that she was dreaming, or more accurately, that this was a nightmare. There she sat, the world seeming to blur around her, the only thing that she could fully make out being herself, stuck frozen in the chair. Herself and the bottle, the label reading "VICODIN", a smaller label above it reading "T. VEGA".

"Needless to say, this is a very serious concern. It is because of Tori's good work that she had done for Hollywood Arts, her good grades, and the fact that she has not had any significant disciplinary actions taken before that we are even having this dialogue." Even though Helen was speaking, Tori's eyes were frozen on the bottle. Though she couldn't see it, she was certain that all the color was just erasing from her face. After several more seconds, her father took the bottle and returned it to Helen's outstretched arm. "Tori? Tori," it took her several times to call the half-Latina's name before she awoke from her state of panic, to which Helen responded with a subtle lowering of the eyebrows. "Tori, do you have any explanation for these?"

"Those aren't mine!" She gasped out.

The slight tilting of the head by Helen only cut deeper into Tori, giving her a clear look of dismissal. "Is that all you have to say? 'Those aren't yours?"

Tori was simply left speechless, caught in a seemingly impossible situation. Those weren't her pills, but it was clear that Helen didn't believe her. Would she have preferred that Tori come up with a crazy story to explain why they weren't hers? After her little improv exercise with Andre, she was feeling pretty sure that she could come up with something, but her voice of reason came to the forefront, knowing it would cause more problems than solving anything.

Fortunately, she didn't have to say anything as her father finally spoke, his voice having seemed to have been absent from the entirety of the conversation up to this point. "Um, Ms. Dubois, if I may?" Upon seeing a nod, David Vega continued. "The student who you caught, certainly you spoke with them regarding the bottle before you called Tori and us, correct?" This was again met with a nod.

"Did they say where and when they had come into possession of the bottle and its contents?" Tori almost wanted to smile at what she was hearing, particularly at the fact that it sounded like he was speaking as a detective rather than just a father. She also could see that Helen was starting to pick up on this as well, her face signifying that she was not a fan of what was starting to sound like an interrogation.

"Ms. Dubois, may I be frank? You say that this is Tori's pill bottle. By effect, you are saying Tori is an accomplice, and she has a right to face her accuser. In this case, it is you, and the student who you found earlier. Now, you can tell us now when this student claimed to get the pills, or if you refuse, we can have that information subpoenaed and have you and the student brought in for a deposition. But I must be honest with you, refusing to provide that information, it does not look very good for a principal, especially when there is the appearance that the principal in question is targeting another student."

Tori just looked at her dad, shocked at what she was hearing. Quickly glancing her eyes at Lane, she could see the wide-eyed expression on the guidance counselor, him obviously not expecting the sort of intensity in Mr. Vega's voice, least of all what seemed like a threat. Helen wasn't pleased at all either, her face being one of bewilderment, her eyes looking like they were ready to burst out of her head. "I'm going to pretend that I'm not hearing what I think I am. Mr. Vega, I think we are-"

"Woah, woah, woah. Now, let's just relax…" At this point, Lane finally stood up and interjected himself between the two, the stern look on David's face and the crazy look on Helen's face spelling out how quickly the situation was dissolving. Going the extra step and standing up on Helen's desk, Lane extended his arms outwards, hoping that it'll get the two to get back, or at the very least far away enough to avoid being in the path of swinging punches. "Now, Helen, I'm sure that Mr. Vega was not implying anything. So, let's everyone calm down and we talk this out and get to a resolution, as adults? Alright Helen?" He turned to see the large black woman, still visibly angry, but looking like she was calming down. Opposite her, Holly was calming down her husband, somehow managing to get him back into one of the chairs.

It was the sight of David Vega and Helen Dubois both seated that caused Lane to let out a sigh of relief. A part of him almost wished that he had taken Derek up on his offer to keep watch of their meeting; he would be far more capable – and probably more receptive – to the idea of playing peacekeeper than Lane was. "Great. See how much better it is when we are all calm?" Lane finally got down from Helen's desk, no longer standing but instead sitting cross-legged as he faced the Vega family. "The student claimed that they got the pill bottle last Friday. At some party held by another student."

In an instant, color restored to Tori's face, the gloomy dismay that seemed to smother her all but disappearing. Similarly, David Vega formed a smile upon his face as well, though unlike Tori's smile of relief, he had an almost condescending smirk. "Last weekend Tori had an audition at UCLA which lasted all weekend. My wife and I left with her Friday afternoon, didn't get back home until late Sunday night."

Lane nodded, his lips curling slightly with what looked to be perhaps the first smile that he had shown all day, which just the sight of it brought comfort to Tori. "So then if not Tori…" As he pieced it together in his head, the smile washed away from Lane's face, "Trina?" The way he spoke was timid, almost as if he was hoping it wasn't the case.

David Vega bit the inside of his mouth, hoping that he could hide the disappointment in the truth, but the nod he gave the guidance counselor was as damning as any facial tell, perhaps even more. Lane's face seemed to convey a similar level of disappointment. On the other hand, Helen had a confused look upon her face, unsure of what exact the men were mutually dismayed about. "Who's Trina?"

Reluctantly, Tori chimed in again, "She's my older sister." There was a blankness on Helen's face. "You kicked her out of the school after you arrived? You confused her for me." There was something uncomfortable about rekindling this in front of her parents. Even though everything had worked out and ultimately Trina was permitted back into Hollywood Arts, the fact that she had been kicked out had been kept a secret from their parents. Chances are, they would try to link that with how Trina has been since, and no doubt they would be asking about that incident sometime down the line. Finally, Helen nodded her head, managing to piece back together who it was that Tori was talking about. Tori could do nothing more than sulk into her seat.

From where he sat, Lane could see the uneasiness in Tori's body behavior, which coupled with how little she wanted to speak indicated to him that it wasn't something that she felt comfortable talking about. With his body still facing the Vega family, he turned his neck as much as he could to get a view of Helen, "It's… it's a complicated situation. It does, however, explain the pills." He turned towards David Vega, "But… you know…." He struggled to find the words to say, but it seemed like David understood, giving a lone nod, all the while Holly's face showed fear, particularly fear at what she suspected they were referring to. Getting up from the desk, Lane lowered his elbow, using it for leverage as he pivoted himself out of the field of view between Helen and Tori. "I don't believe that we have any more need for Tori or her parents to be here anymore. Wouldn't you agree?"

Helen's eyes bounced between Tori's face and Lane's face. Tori's conveyed mixed emotions, the pitiful smile that her lips formed being countered by the panic that still resided within her eyes. On the other hand, Lane's was one of empathy, one that as much said 'she had nothing to do with this' as it said 'I'll explain everything to you later.' After a couple of seconds, particularly focusing on Lane's face, Helen exhaled and threw her arms up in defeat, "Alright." She then turned her focus onto Tori, "You can go. Mr. Vega, Mrs. Vega, sorry."

Hearing Helen accept that Tori had nothing to do with the pills, David and Holly Vega wasted no time in getting up, the former wanting to get out of the room as quickly as possible while the latter just wanted to hug her daughter. Tori was processing the whole encounter in her head, but putting particular focus on the last interaction between Lane Anderson and her dad, worrying exactly what they were implying by it. Lost in thought, it was her father's hand gently patting her shoulder which sprung her back to reality, though to her it didn't seem like reality. Only a few minutes ago she was listening to her principal accuse her of giving someone pills, and now she was being ushered by her parents to leave. With no punishment?

She was hesitate to get up and leave. It was like a part of her was still convinced that this was all just an elaborate setup. Seeing the confusion on Tori's face, Lane smiled, pointing her towards the door, "Don't worry Tori. You go enjoy your weekend!"

Quickly grabbing her bag as she walked out of the room, she wasn't sure if it was in poor taste to ignore Principal Helen or if she should have acknowledged her with some sort of a goodbye. Opting to not give Helen more reason to hate her guts, Tori was about to turn around and wish her a good weekend, but even just peeking into the room she could see the principal completely and utterly engrossed in whatever the heck she was doing, not even acknowledging the presence of Mr. Anderson at this point, leaving him without a place in the small office. Seeing this, Tori simply chuckled to herself as she caught up to her parents, thinking about the roller coaster of emotions and panic that she had just rode. And while she was glad that it seemed that she was walking out of it without any punishment, she couldn't help worry about what her dad and Mr. Anderson said, her mind thinking the worst but her optimism dismissing the thought.

Really though, Tori didn't want to think any more on the matter. It was Friday. Everyone was coming over later on tonight. She had just avoided huge punishment and managed to get out of the remainder of her final course. All she wanted to do now was go home.

As she proceeded out of the school and towards her car, she raised her eyebrows slightly at how quickly the parking lot had cleared out. Aside from a few of the cars owned by the facility and her own, it was completely and utterly empty. Wow. Taking her phone out of her pocket, her glance switched back and forth between it and her lone car, amazed at how the entire parking lot had emptied out in only a few minutes. Fumbling around in her bag, she finally pulled out her keys, unlocking the door and entering into her car, a sense of safety shielding her as lay her head back against the seat's head guard.

Sitting in her car for a minutes, she simply closed her eyes and sighed. _What a day…_

 _College cannot come quickly enough…_

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	3. Sleep, Drink, Pizza

**Chapter 3. Sleep. Drink. Pizza.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Vega Residence - December 9th, Senior Year**

 **...**

By the time her car had pulled into the driveway, Tori wasn't exactly shocked to see both of her parents' cars parked in the driveway already. Typically, one of them, or in most cases, both of them, would be absent. But given the events of today, it made sense that they would both be home. As she came within arm's length of the front door, she couldn't help but pull back her hand from the door. This was typically the time that she could just relax, not having to worry about her parents looking over her shoulder or interrupting whatever it was that she might be doing.

"It's not going to be something that can just be ignored," Even from the front door, David Vega's voice boomed throughout the house. _Great…_ Tori thought to herself as she walked in, hoping that her parents would just let her walk away without dragging her into a conversation.

"Oh Tori, you're finally home," Holly Vega called out, causing Tori to close her eyes in frustration – facing away from her parents of course. As she pivoted her body to face her parents, she found herself forcing a smile onto her face, if for no other reason than to appease her parents. Obviously she had interrupted a serious conversation between her parents and judging by the fake smile on her dad's face, Tori could tell that they were a bit thankful that she didn't come right away. Chances are they wouldn't have minded if she had gone out – or have had a chance to talk out of earshot of her. "You hungry dear? I can fix you up something."

Tori shook her head. "Nah I'm fine. We have one of the later lunch periods, so I'm good." Noticing the almost disappointed look that her mother had on her face, Tori couldn't help wanting to kick herself. She didn't mean to come off as rude or dismissive; it was just the truth. Even still though, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Oh, that's OK dear." Holly took a quick glance at her husband before returning focus to her daughter, "So do you have any plans for tonight?"

Tori lifted her arm to scratch the back of her head. _Did she forget the gang was coming over tonight?_ "Uh yeah. Andre, Jade, Cat, they're all coming over. Remember?"

It was like a lightbulb went off in her mom's head. "That's right! Heh," A weak laugh escaped from her mouth. "I'm sorry. For a moment I forgot that they were coming. David, perhaps we ought to go out for a little bit?" She turned her attention to her husband who simply responded with a weak nod.

Rather than waiting for the two of them to leave, Tori simply began heading upstairs to her room, all of a sudden feeling exhausted. Dragging her feet along the way towards her bedroom door, she didn't hear her parents call out a goodbye to her, nor did she even hear the front door shut. Right now she just wanted to take a nap and as soon as her head hit her pillow, she did exactly that.

* * *

 **...**

 **Several Hours Later**

 **...**

 _I'm a rockstar  
Hey baby_

 _I'm a rockstar  
_ _Hey baby_

She wasn't entirely sure of how long she had been sleeping for, but it didn't seem like it was nearly enough. Hell, if it weren't for her phone going off, she may very well have slept well into the night. Rolling around as she began to blindly grab for the phone on her nightstand, Tori finally managed to answer it just seconds prior to it going to voicemail. "Hello?"

"Damn, you sound like crap Tor." Of course it'd be Andre calling.

Tori, still in a half-asleep state, reluctantly began to get herself out of bed, resisting the desire to crawl back in. "You have a way of making a girl special, you know that right?"

"Ah come on. That's what you love about me!"

"As much as a root canal," Tori smirked. She never actually had a root canal, but she could imagine it being something that wasn't very fun, so the analogy worked.

"Ow, that stings girl. Anyways, you weren't answering our texts so had to give you a call. Tonight still going on or have your parents gone and grounded you for a year after you destroyed Principal Dubois's car?"

Tori's eyes widened, "What!? I didn't destroy her car! Who's been saying that?"

"Rex."

She huffed in response. Of course it would have been Rex to say something like that. Or Jade. Either of them could have spread a rumor like that. "I'm gonna kill that puppet one day, I swear."

Andre's laugh could be heard from the other end of the line, "I think Jade's got a few spots ahead of you with that. Maybe she'll leave you a piece after she's done with him. So, we still down for tonight?"

Tori had by this point made her way to her bathroom, distraught that her reflection in the mirror showed a girl who really had just woken up. "Yeah."

"Cool, so I'll be there in like, a minute or two."

Tori couldn't help but widen her eyes at how close Andre was, "Are you already driving here?"

"Like I said, nobody heard from you."

She smirked, "So if I didn't answer your call then you were going to make sure that I wasn't eaten by a bed monster or something?"

"Hey now, don't joke about those bed monsters. Those foam mattresses, just wait. Just you wait…"

"Of course Andre. Just let yourself in when you get here. If the door's locked, you know where the spare is. I'll see you in a few."

"Later girl!" The line went dead with that as Tori finally got a chance to see the supposed missed texts that she had been getting. Sure enough, on the front screen of her phone it read '6 New Messages'. As she tried to erase the ' _I just woke up'_ look, she quickly skimmed through the messages.

 ** _What happened Tori? -_ Andre**

 ** _Jade's assuming you're dead. Text me to disprove her please. -_ Beck**

 ** _Are you alive Vega? –_ Jade**

 ** _Rex is saying you destroyed Helens car. That true? –_ Robbie**

 ** _Tori? You there? –_ Andre**

 ** _HEY TORI! See you tonight! –_ Cat**

Well, it was comforting to know that her friends cared, though Tori wasn't entirely sure of what to make out of Jade's text. Rather than dwelling on it too much, she simply smiled to herself. It was Jade after all, so that probably was the closest thing to concern that she was going to display. Rather than responding individually to each of them, she instead just sent out a single group text.

 ** _Don't worry. Everything's good. We're still on for tonight. –_ Tori**

The sound of the front door opening drew her focus away from waiting for the rest of the gang's response. It may have been a moot point, depending on if Andre had alerted the group that she was good –which may have been a possibility. As she descended the stairs, she smiled at seeing Andre already making himself at home, going through the fridge for something to drink. "Help yourself," Tori called out sarcastically.

Andre turned around with a smile on his face as he pulled out two cans of soda, sliding one against the countertop towards her rather than tossing it. Knowing Tori's hand-eye coordination, it was probably for the best. "You know it's night and die sometimes when talking to you on the phone."

Tori took a seat at the counter as she topped the top of her can, "And just what's that supposed to mean?"

Andre chuckled to himself slightly as he sat across from her, "I'm just saying. You sounded like you were dying only a few minutes ago. Take that voice and put it to your face now, like some reverse Susan Boyle stuff right there."

Though Andre was pretty pleased with his joke, Tori couldn't help but roll her eyes, but remembering how her own reflection seemed to be, better that he not have that as ammunition. "You know there are times I wanna just slap you," she hissed.

Andre threw up his arms in a surrender stance, "Woah, woah. Calm down there Jade." He knew that that would get a rise out of Tori, and if he had given her anything other than a drink chances are she would have thrown it at him. Even though she were out of viable weapons, he could see that Tori was none too pleased by the remark, to which he frowned very slightly. "Sorry, sorry."

For a couple of seconds, the two of them sat in relative silence, Tori watching as Andre made himself a sandwich, pulling out pretty much every condiment bottle that he could find. Planting his completed work, a medley of meats and sauces – looking equally monstrous and at the same time, having a weird appeal to it – Andre focused on Tori, staring at her as he took bite upon bite of the sandwich. Tori simply stared back, it becoming more and more apparent that she was getting annoyed. "What?" She finally blurted out.

Andre simply smiled and took another bite from his sandwich. Once his sandwich was put back on his plate and he had finished chewing, he spoke. "So what happened? Why'd you get called out of Sikowitz's class?"

Tori sighed. She knew that there was no chance that the events of earlier today wouldn't be brought back up, as much as she wished it were true. "I'll explain later."

Andre frowned, noticing how quick Tori wanted to dismiss the topic. "Everything alright?" He asked.

She gave him a weak smile, "Yeah. Just, you know I'll explain it to you. And then later everyone else is going to ask, and it's just… I'd rather explain it once as opposed to multiple times."

"Fair enough," Andre shot her a reassuring smile. "Your parents not home?"

Shaking her head, Tori couldn't help but flash a small, devious smile. "Nope!"

Hearing this, Andre perked up with a look of excitement. "Really!? Well, that's a nice welcome change…" His voice trailed off slightly as he began to rummage through the cupboards, looking for something. "Hey Tori," he called out.

She in the meanwhile was preoccupied by a note which seemed to have been left on near the TV table. Skimming through it real quick, it read something along the lines of her parents going out, not wanting to bother Tori or her friends. They had left them money for takeout and if they were going to go and/or drink, that they please do not drive home drunk or call a cab. Quickly snatching up the 50 dollar bill that they had left her before Andre caught sight of it, she headed back to the table to watch her best friend continue his scavenger hunt. "Andre, what are you looking for?"

Andre didn't even bother to turn his head to acknowledge Tori, instead continuing his search through the drawers, "Surely your parents have a minibar stocked somewhere." With a wide grin on his face, he turned to meet Tori's, but was surprised to see her simply with her mouth left ajar. "What? I mean, your parents are out, it's Friday night. We're seniors in High School. I don't see the issue here."

Tori simply facepalmed, agreeing with the thought but not wanting to indulge him in telling him that her parents had expressed pretty much the same sentiment. "You're a true humanitarian you know that. The top cupboard to the left," she said, pointing to the lone cupboard that Andre had seemed to miss.

Following Tori's direction, Andre opened the lone cupboard, clapping with glee at the sight of several various bottles of liquor, some clear, others in tinted bottles. Grabbing two at a time and arranging them all in the center of the counter, he seemed downright giddy. "Absolutely girl. You know, all around the United States there are high school kids who've never had the chance to enjoy a drink with their friends?"

"Tragic," Tori sarcastically responded.

"Exactly! And therefore, we must do what we can to address this plight," he quipped as he began to rummage through the cabinets again, this time grabbing a variety of different glasses.

Tori tilted her head to the side as she watched Andre, her mind staying glued on the logic he just applied, "And so us drinking is helping to rectify the issue of others not being able to?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" At this point, Andre had begun to prepare himself a drink, pouring a brownish liquid into one of the glasses, topping it off with a few ice cubes. "You want one?"

"Shouldn't I eat beforehand?" Tori asked, both wanting to have a drink but at the same time preferring to wait for the others to arrive before drinking, if she were even going to.

Andre nodded his head and put down his glass, his lips having yet to touch the liquor. "Good point. You want this then?" He offered, holding up half of the sandwich he had made earlier. The pulling away of Tori from the counter was enough of an indication that she wasn't interested in that. "Well fine then. What are you feeling?"

"Take your pick," Tori retorted as she pulled several fast food brochures from a nearby drawer and tossed them onto the counter. As Andre scoped through them, trying to pinpoint where to go for food, the aroma of the drink Andre poured – whiskey maybe – seemed to consume the air around the two of them. "Anything strike your fancy?"

"Hmm. Looking at our options, and taking into consideration what else we have in play," Andre said as he pointed to the liquor bottles, "Don't want anything too crazy. So… Well first, how much money we have for food?"

"My parents left us a bit." Tori quickly chimed in.

"How much is a bit?" Andre asked, almost immediately, to which Tori simply tossed out the fifty dollar bill onto the counter, which brought out a smile on Andre's face. "See, now with that we can work with things." He fixed his gaze back onto the brochures before finding one that worked to his tastes. "Boom!"

Taking a look at the brochure, Tori rose an eyebrow in surprise. She had figured that Andre would have gone for something complicated and crazy, given the increased stipend at their disposal. But this choice drew no objections from her, nor would it from the rest of the gang. "Sounds good!" After all, it was an old favorite of the group, Tori's in particular, _Little Tony's Pizza._

One of the nicest things about Little Tony's was the fact that they had been an early adopter of order by text message, a system that they routinely used, be it at school or home. So as Tori texted the order, several large pies and – at Andre's insistence – a few different sodas to mix with the booze. As she did that, Andre started preparing another drink, this one of a clear liquor and of the little orange soda that was still in Tori's fridge. "So how'd your audition go last week?"

The question took Tori slightly off guard. She hadn't made too huge a deal about the audition when she first found out about it. Sure, she had expressed excitement at first, not expecting to have been granted an early admission audition for UCLA, but she had found that out almost a month earlier just before Thanksgiving break. Since then she had barely spoken of it, the closest thing to it being her letting the group know that last week's game would have to be played somewhere else. "Uh, it went well I think."

"You don't sound very convinced," Andre said as he handed the drink to Tori. "Did you not practice?"

Tori shook her head, "No. I mean, I had the routine down pat. Just, I don't know." She stopped for a moment to take a small sip of her drink, expecting something nasty but instead finding herself raising her glass in approval. "It seemed different, like you know, the plays and everything at Hollywood Arts were like easy mode in a game and this was the hard mode."

Andre leaned in slightly and brushed his hand over Tori's hair, leaving it a frazzled mess as he pulled away, causing her to scowl at him. He simply smiled and took a sip from his drink, "That's just what they do, but I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll still probably leave a better impression with their admission board than I will."

Tori's eyes widened in surprise, her nearly choking on the latest sip of her drink. "You applied to UCLA too!? On my god!" In her excitement, she couldn't help but throw her arms around Andre, squeezing tightly, releasing her grip as soon as she realized what she was doing. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Like it was nothing, Andre simply dismissed Tori's surprise, "I put an application in a few days ago. Hell, they may not even bother giving me an audition."

"Andre that's crazy. I mean, you're an amazing musician. There's no way that they're not going to give you a shot!"

"Well, I have a bit of time to prepare, in the event that it does happen. But you know, what'll probably happen is that they'll see my application, think 'Oh man, this guy went to school with that one girl Tori Vega who blew all of our minds. No doubt this guy must have been a huge impact on her. Just accept him, don't even bother with the audition!'"

A huge smile quickly appeared on Tori's face. Even though Andre dreamed of becoming a successful musician, he'd have as much of a shot at being a motivational speaker. She had said so many times before, yet he always insisted that he didn't have the talent or charisma to do it. But when she heard him say things like that – even in spite of it doubling as him boasting about himself – it just reaffirmed her stance. "Wouldn't that be something?"

"It makes sense to me," he smiled.

Tori brushed off Andre's remark as she slowly sipped away at her drink. She had to hand it to Andre; he was pretty good at making a drink that didn't have the alcohol taste to it. In fact, as she took another sip from it, she didn't taste anything at all in it other than soda. "Andre?"

"What's up Tor?"

"What'd you put in my drink again?" Tori asked, shaking the glass lightly, liquid splashing within.

"Yeah, I put like 5 shots in it. Why?"

"Because this tastes like soda. Just. Soda." Tori barked out. Truthfully, she wasn't in a huge rush to get drunk too quickly. After all, what sort of example would it be for the rest of the group to arrive and she were already wasted? But at the same time, it wouldn't hurt having a bit of a buzz going by the time they did arrive, but she wasn't feeling anything, especially not if there were 5 shots in her glass.

Her response made Andre curious as well, as he took the glass from her and took a quick chug from it. After juggling the liquid in his mouth for a second, he nodded at Tori, "Yeah. It just tastes like soda. But that doesn't make sense. I know I poured you a drink."

"You sure?"

"Positive! I set it right here… Oh…." It was at that point that Andre noticed that he had indeed poured Tori a drink with several shots in it. Only he had given Tori the glass of soda that he had poured for himself rather than the intended one. "That explains a lot. Well, if you're interested Tori, it's right there!"

Tori chuckled at Andre's foolishness, shaking her head at the offer for a drink, "I'm good right now. Maybe once the others and the food arrive I'll give it another shot!" Her mouth widened as she laughed at the pun that she made, hoping that her friend would find it humorous himself. Andre facepalmed. "Oh come on! That was hilarious!"

"Sure Tori," he said as he took a small sip of his drink.

In spite of Andre's attempts, Tori stuck with the soda for the time being until the rest of the group arrived. Once the mix-up with the drinks was realized, Tori still found herself reluctant to drink it, particularly because of the five shots Andre added. One or two, that was reasonable. Three? That might be just a bit overkill. Five though? No thanks. She doubted that even Andre would have touched it, which judging by how he slowly moved further and further away from the glass, only further validated that theory.

It wasn't long until the doorbell rang, which given how recently Tori had placed the order for the food, meant it had to have been the rest of the gang. Seemingly one by one they arrived, Cat arriving first, followed by Jade and Beck, then Robbie and Rex bringing up the rear. A few minutes – and a couple of drinks – later, the food had arrived. And with that, their usual Friday game, the one which had become basically tradition over the past several months, began again.

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 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	4. Blackjack & Somber Thoughts

**Chapter 4. Blackjack & Somber Thoughts**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Vega Residence - December 9th, Senior Year**

 **...**

"I'm just gonna go right out there and say it," Beck started as he rose his glass up in the air. "Tori's house beats Andre's grandmother's out every day of the week!"

"Indeed," Jade added, raising her glass as well.

"Totally!" Cat chimed in, taking a sip of her fruity cocktail rather than toasting.

"Damn straight," Rex said in agreement. "Raise yo glass up sucka," he ordered Robbie.

"Oh, come on. Andre's grandmother's house wasn't _that_ bad!" Robbie challenged.

The rest of the group glared at Robbie. Tori, the lone exception, looked more confused than anything else. Even Andre seemed to be in agreement with the rest of the group.

"You're kidding, right?" Jade barked.

"What!? I happened to have a very good time. Thank you very much." Robbie countered, though the uneasiness in his voice didn't do much to reinforce his case. It was apparent by the way the rest of the group was alienating him that his optimism wasn't welcome.

"Speak for yourself. You didn't get thrown out of a window," Rex snapped back.

At this point, Tori's confusion was melding more into curiosity than it was confusion. There was a story to be told and she was already interested. "Wait, why'd Rex get thrown out of a window?"

Andre took a sip from his drink – maybe his third or fourth at this point, he wasn't entirely sure – and simply looked across the poker table at Tori. "I'll give you three guesses."

"Jade!" Tori blathered out, to which Jade's eyes widened in disrespect. Tori sunk slightly in her seat, "Not Jade?" She wasn't entirely sure of why she had blamed Jade, but it just seemed appropriate, given the less than perfect relationship between her and Robbie's puppet.

Beck chuckled slightly at Tori's guess, to which Jade redirected her gaze at him, "Guess again."

Tori thought for a moment and then had a look of disbelief on her face. Perhaps more accurately, she was surprised why it had taken her as long as it had to single out what was arguably the most obvious candidate as to why a puppet would be thrown out of a window. "Andre's grandmother?"

"Bingo!" Rex exclaimed.

Tori found herself laughing, even though it was far from what she might have expected out of Andre's grandmother. In the time that Tori had known her, she had seen the woman punch a laptop, break into Sikowitz's house, and even one time shooting at the pizza delivery guy because she thought he was an intruder. In actuality, the idea of her throwing Rex out of a window was actually a pretty plausible one.

"Hey, now while I appreciate the vote of confidence Rob. I have to agree with Beck on this one," Andre spoke, hoping to put a rest to the obvious contrast in opinions. For as noble as Robbie was to try to argue that last week wasn't _AS_ bad as they were making it out to be, it pretty much was. Rex being thrown out of the window was – in the grand scheme of what Andre's grandmother could have done – pretty tame. "Thankfully though, our game is back where it belongs," he said, shooting a smile to Tori who responded with the raising of her glass. "Thank you Tori, for not being gone for another week!"

"Agreed," the group added, glasses being raised, clattering against one another, a couple drops of liquid falling onto the table but for the most part remaining within their respective glasses.

"So, Vega," Jade began, to which Tori immediately started to disappear within her seat. She knew that this was going to happen, that Jade was going to ask her about what happened, no doubt hoping that some sort of punishment was going to be dealt out. Given what had ultimately happened, she wasn't entirely sure that Jade would be pleased. Come to think of it, there was no way that Jade was going to be happy once Tori was done with the story. "What happened with you and Helen?"

"I told you! She took out Helen's car!" Rex barked out, though his comment was pretty much ignored.

Tori sulked in her seat as everyone's eyes fixated on her. "Do I really have to tell you? I mean, I'm here, I'm not dead," she glared at Jade with that remark. "I didn't destroy Helen's car," this time now glaring at Rex – and Robbie by effect. "Let's just not worry about it."

"Ah, come on Tori. That's no fun," Andre whined. "Besides, you said-"

Before he could finish his comment, Tori rose her hand to shush him, to which he did stop. On the other hand, Jade wasn't done. "So, you told Andre but you won't tell us. That's low Vega."

"I didn't tell him!" Tori exclaimed, throwing her arms up in frustration. It was a lose-lose situation for her. On one hand, she could tell the all what happened, but the mixed reactions were far from what she was wanting. Add the fact that they've all been drinking, and it only further complicates things. On the other hand, if she didn't tell them… Well, add in the alcohol again, and it wouldn't be that much of a better option.

Beck stepped in at this point, motioning with his hands for both his girlfriend and Tori to calm down. "Ladies, ladies. It's OK. I think I have a way to determine this fairly." Everyone moved in closer as Beck calmly explain his idea. "Blackjack, or something similar to it. Tori and I both get two cards. Who's ever closest to 21 wins."

"So if I win," Tori began.

"If you win, you don't have to tell the story," Beck finished her thought for her. "But if I win, then you tell us. Sound fair?" The smile on Beck's face was devious. Earnest, yes, but there was like this snake-oil salesman attribute to it too.

Realizing that there was pretty much no other alternative than just telling the story, Tori sighed in defeat, "Fine." _Maybe this'll work. After all, I can get lucky. Maybe he won't draw anything. I mean, I have as good of odds as him._

"Wait." Robbie piped in, "Are Aces high or low?"

"High. We're only doing two cards, so no point in having to worry about them as being ones." Beck didn't even bother with getting all the cards and shuffling them. Instead, he just grabbed the deck of cards which weren't in play already and shuffled it quickly. "So, you'll flip one, then I'll flip, and then we repeat. Sound good?"

Tori nodded. Even though she was confident a moment ago, watching Beck shuffle and deal out their cards, just looking at the backs of her cards made her worry she was going to lose. As her fingers dangled between the two cards, trying to determine which one to flip first, her anxiety began to overtake her. Should she flip this one or that one, the indecisiveness wasn't helping. Finally giving in and just going with her gut, she flipped the closer of the two cards she had, a wide smile appearing on her face at the sight of a 10 of Hearts.

"Alright, not bad," Beck commented as he quickly flipped his first card, revealing it to be a Jack of Diamonds. "10 to 10. You're up," he smirked as he again watched her hover around her last card. "Oh, because we didn't say earlier, ties'll go to Tori."

Unlike the previous time though, she was feeling far more confident. If it had been a 2 or 3, it would have been a completely different story. But now, if she could pull like an 8 or 9, maybe even one of the 10s, she had it won. Closing her eyes as her fingers caressed against the edge of the card, she took a deep breath as she flipped the card. Opening her eyes, she almost found herself jumping out of her seat in glee at the sight of the second card, King of Spades.

Her happiness was felt throughout the table, Cat and Andre both "oohing" at the revelation. Beck had come off as so confident at first that it seemed like he couldn't have been beat, but now it was seeming that his poker face as being seen through. "20. Beck, nervous?" Andre asked. While he didn't want to admit it, for as much as he respected Tori's privacy, he was hoping that Beck would win. With whatever happened earlier today being draining enough to cause Tori to pass out, keeping it bottled in probably wasn't the best thing to do.

"I'm not worried. Four aces in the deck, easy enough to win." Beck casually said as he brushed his fingers around the edge of his card, rotating it around in circles.

Hearing how hopeful Beck was at getting an ace only made Tori more and more confident. Even if about half the deck wasn't in play due to the poker game that they had been playing, Tori knew that at least one of the aces was in her poker hand, two others already in play. Assuming that there were about 25 or so cards in the deck, the chance of one of them being an ace – assuming that there was still one that wasn't in play – let alone being the card that he had drawn, was rather low.

"Dude. Stop playing and just show us the card," Jade grunted, tossing back a considerable swig of her drink. Tori couldn't help but look a bit surprised at how effortlessly she had downed it, considering it was the 5 shot drink that Andre made for her earlier but had rejected.

"Fine, fine," Beck smirked as he flipped the card, not even bothering to look at it, instead just keeping the smirk directed at Tori. He didn't need to look at it. Just going off the gasps and the cry of disbelief coming from Tori and Cat, he knew exactly what he had drawn. And as he looked down, he chuckled slightly to himself, as he had just flipped the Ace of Spades. "Well well. What do you know? 21!"

Tori looked with disbelief at the card. "You've got to be kidding me…" She was so confident, so sure that she was going to have won. That she lost, she wasn't sure if she were more disappointed in the fact that she lost or the fact that Beck won in the way that he did. And even though Jade was looking at Tori with almost baited breathe, excited for the story she was going to tell, Beck was more composed, taking in his victory no doubt, but being a bit more humble in it than his girlfriend.

"You gonna tell us what happened early today now?" Beck casually asked, taking a small sip from his drink, frowning slightly as he pulled the drink away. The ice cubes had he had thrown in earlier had all nearly dissolved away in his whiskey. What he had left was effectively a watered-down drink, hardly worthy of story time. "Actually, hold that thought. I need a refill. Anyone else want one?" He offered to the rest of the group as he left the table and proceeded towards the counter.

"Oh! Thanks Beck!" Cat exclaimed, not realizing that she had tossed her glass to Beck, everyone anticipating the glass to shatter upon impact with the floor. "Oops," she quietly spoke as she sunk into her chair similar to how Tori had moments earlier.

By some miracle perhaps, Beck had managed to catch the glass, kneeling down and practically hyperextending his arm out to grab only inches from the ground. A small applause ushered from the poker table. Getting back to his feet, Beck admired the glass he had caught for a moment before his eyes darted at Cat, causing her to further sink in guilt. "Not again." It wasn't much said, but the point stood as Cat frowned and nodded in compliance.

"It's aight baby girl," Andre consoled her, patting her back. "Nothing broken."

"This time," Beck said under his breath, out of earshot of the group. As he finished his drink and moved onto Cat's, he figured that her continuing to drink whatever Andre had made her probably wasn't the best idea, if what just happened was any indication. "Cat," he called out, "What were you drinking again?"

"Something sweet that Andre made!"

"Shot of tequila, shot of vodka, and some fruit punch." Andre called out, "Need any help?"

"Don't worry, I got it." Beck responded, throwing his hand up to indicate he was all good. More, he just wanted to keep Andre at his seat. Tequila and vodka weren't exactly the best things to mix together, and as his eyes bounced between the bottle of tequila and the bottles of vodka, trying to determine which one was the best option, he sighed and finished the drink.

"Here you go Cat," Beck smiled as he reached across the table to hand the glass over to the excited redhead.

"Thanks!" Wasting no time at all, she was already thirstily drinking from it. "Oh wow, it's so sweet! You should totally be a pro bartender!"

Beck chuckled to himself slightly, wrapping one arm around Jade who he could see wasn't taking to Cat's flattery too well. "I don't know about that. Enjoy though." _Yeah, enjoy the cocktail consisting of fruit juice, and only fruit juice. She won't know the difference._ A part of him did feel a bit bad about deceiving Cat, but the fact that she could be as chipper and upbeat as she was even without alcohol balanced it out. And as distasteful as it might have been, there were plenty of times before where someone had asked Cat if she were drunk in public, even when she was stone sober. Tonight could be another of those nights. Finally, he turned his attention back to the Latina. "So Tori, forgive my earlier interruption, but you ready to tell us your story?"

"Yeah Vega. We're waiting," Jade's words slithered out of her mouth like a serpent, one that was ready to strike. While unnerving, there was something about it that Tori didn't mind. For as much as she put up that mask, that tough girl attitude, over the course of the last year the relationship between the two of them had become a lot stronger. Jade just had a different way of showing it, like that.

Tori sighed, knowing that there wasn't anything she could do to get out of it. Everyone, including even Rex, had fixated their gazes onto Tori, making her feel like when she's on stage, all of their attention on her. The difference was that she actually enjoyed being on stage. There were a number of things that she could think of that would be more enjoyable than this. "So…" She began, a little intimidated at how it seemed with only the first word everyone had slowly crept closer to her. "So, Helen called me down to her office…" She closed her eyes and exhaled, "Because she thought that I had given someone a bottle of Vicodin…"

At the mentioning of Vicodin, it seemed like everyone's eyes lit up in a mixture of disbelief and intrigue. Several gasps were heard, including Andre choking on his drink from the reaction. Similar to how Tori couldn't believe what Helen was accusing her of doing, so too it seemed the rest of the group had trouble believing it.

Even Jade, who probably would have taken the most glee to Tori being caught in that kind of situation couldn't help but stare in disbelief of what she was hearing. There were probably half a dozen or so students at Hollywood Arts that she knew personally that abused Vicodin or similar pills. Chances were that there were probably a ton more than that, but Tori? She was one of those goodie-two shoes who wouldn't dare touch them, one of the few seniors in Hollywood Arts that not a single person would suspect of using them, let alone push them.

"What?" Robbie blurted out, being the first person to manage to say something at all in response.

Beck looked perplexed at what Tori had just said, "How can see possibly think that you were dealing pills? For that matter, if someone said Tori Vega had gotten them pills. One, you're like the least likely person who would be dealing that crap. Two, if they had been caught, their credibility is pretty much shot anyways. I mean, it doesn't make sense."

Andre nodded in agreement, "He's right. I mean, how could she actually believe someone who assumedly had been caught with drugs. It's like saying 'Yeah I cheated with the answers to the test but I got them from the top student who's never been in trouble before'. Doesn't make sense."

The words of encouragement were certainly kind and really what Tori needed after what happened earlier today. But, there was still more to the story, so she continued. "It didn't make sense to me either. And then Helen pulled out a bottle of pills. It had T. Vega typed out on it."

"So they were your pills!?" Robbie exclaimed. It took no time whatsoever following this for Jade to swing her hand out, striking the back of his head hard. "Ouch!" He cried out.

"They weren't my pills!" Tori responded back, as animated and loud as Robbie had just been.

"So someone faked the label?" Andre suggested. He didn't doubt that Tori was being honest, but it brought the greater question of if they weren't her pills, then who's? And then it hit him. "Trina?"

There was a collective silence as everyone waited for Tori's response, but even in her silence it was obvious that what Andre was suggesting was true. When she nodded, it all but affirmed it.

"That fucking bitch," Jade hissed, the suddenness and anger that she said it with taking everyone for a surprise, Beck included. Hoping to console her, Beck began to wrap his arm around her, but surprisingly she had tossed him aside as she gulped down the remainder of her drink, not stopping to breathe throughout. As she put the glass down to see the faces of everyone still looking at her, she shrugged her shoulders, 'What? It's not like any of us feel differently."

The truth in what she said was a bitter pill to swallow and the digestion of it brought a bit more silence with it. It wasn't as though it were a secret that the rest of them and Trina never got along, that there had been a level of uneasiness whenever they were together. Honestly, once they had learned that Trina wasn't living with Tori anymore was a significant reason why the Vega residence had become their main place, for their weekly poker game and otherwise. Even then, having managed to blanket her out of their lives, the fact that she was being brought back up wasn't a particular high point for them.

"So, the pills are Trina's. That means you're good right? You're not in trouble?" Beck asked, gently putting a comforting hand on Tori's shoulder. Jade made no objections, nor did she give any looks.

She felt weird. Particularly the fact that even though she was in the company of her friends who all were comforting her, their approval and support came at the expense of her sister. She found herself forcing a weak smile. "As far as I know, I'm OK. When I got back home today, my parents were talking about her. I guess that's why they went out tonight," She hid her face within her palms, "Ugh, I don't know what'll happen…"

"Well baby, I can help fill that void," Tori lifted her head up from her palms to reveal a disgusted look on her face. If there was one quality that the damned puppet Rex had, it was to say the wrong thing at the worst times. And while its mouth moved in a laughing gesture, nobody else seemed to share the same opinion.

"Ouch!" Robbie yelped in pain as Jade brought her hand down back to gripping her now empty glass. "That wasn't me who said that. It was-"

Jade help up the glass right in Robbie's face, "Then how about you tell Rex that if he has another comment, I'm going to break this over one of your heads. And yours is a lot bigger target." Her words were cold and perhaps more than anything else, serious.

Nobody made any further remark to that little confrontation, even in spite of some people perhaps wanting to. But unfortunately, it had already become quite clear by this and the earlier silences that there was little chance for the mood to take a drastic turnaround and everyone's spirits to rise. Tensions were building between Robbie – and Rex by extension – and Jade, which Andre was secretly - and perhaps selfishly - hoping that it would be a chance for Robbie to show his angry side. In the past, when he's been angry it had more been for show or effect, not genuinely angry. It wasn't looking like it was going to happen though, not with Beck basically sealing Jade off from Robbie and Rex. All things considered though, it was probably time for the group to call it a night.

 **...**

 **A Short Time Later**

 **...**

It wasn't long until a cab had arrived for Robbie and Cat, marking their ending to the evening – at least their evening with the rest of the group. As they both left through Tori's front door, all of them still there couldn't help but stare in surprise at what they saw. "Are they going home together?" Tori asked as she lay with her back on the couch.

"I really don't know…" Beck said, his attention so fixated on the now closed door that he seemed to struggle with putting on his coat.

"Poor Cat," It was all that Jade contributed to the conversation as she waited for Beck to get her coat as well.

"You sure you don't want us to call you guys a cab?" Tori offered, her eyes glowing with concern. The fact was both of them, Jade especially, had drank a lot, and the last thing that she wanted on her conscious was anything happening to either of them. "It really isn't a burden."

Beck flashed her a smile as he handed Jade her coat, "It's all good. Jade's house isn't that far anyways. Besides, probably for the best that we get some air," he said, holding his hand to cover one side of his face as his other hand pointed towards Jade. Tori smiled at this, mentally agreeing with what he said.

"Alright then! See you guys later?"

"Maybe. Depends on how they're feeling," Beck pointed not only to Jade but also to Andre, seated at the counter while he feasted on the remaining pizza. "Probably though. Night Andre! Night Tori!"

"Later Beck," Andre called out, his mouth full of food.

"Bye guys!" Tori waved as Jade and Beck walked out the front door.

"Later Vega!" She heard Jade call out from the other side of the door, which caused Tori to smile. It was things like that, even just small things like saying good night which showed that in spite of her evil persona, Jade was a good person. And, in some of those rare occasions, a good friend.

Getting up from the couch, Tori turned her focus to Andre. "So, Andre. Want me to call you a cab?"

It took less than a second for Andre to respond to that, grabbing another slice of pizza and jumping onto the couch beside Tori, "The couch is mighty comfortable. You wouldn't mind if I stayed the night, would you?"

Tori looked at Andre for a moment, raising an eyebrow as her focus turned to the slice of pizza he was holding, "That's not the last slice of pizza is it?" As he shook his head, she smiled. "Then the Tori Vega Couch Hotel has an open room!" She then got up from the couch herself and rushed over towards the pizza boxes, hoping that Andre wasn't lying just to get a place to sleep. After all, pizza was no laughing matter.

Having been granted a place to sleep for the night, Andre rose his hands in joy as he threw himself back onto the couch, nestling himself comfortably between the large cushions. As he stretched out on the couch, he could hear Tori begin to ascend the stairs to her own room. "Good night Tori!" He yelled from the couch.

"Good night Andre!" He could hear her call out from the top of the stairs. He promptly passed out minutes later.

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 **...**

 **Outside Tori's House**

 **...**

"So, you gonna tell me what that was about?" Beck asked his girlfriend as they left Tori's block. Jade had been acting increasingly irritated since they had found out Tori and her incident with Principal Helen, and though he had suspicions why, he wanted to make sure he wasn't jumping to conclusions.

"What what was about?" Jade asked. While she was willing to play games, the last thing she wanted was a lecture from Beck, which she could tell was incoming.

"With Robbie. I mean, I understand that Rex can be rude, but threatening him with a glass?" Beck didn't have a problem with what she did with him. There were more than a few times where he wanted to just punch Robbie for that damn puppet, and earlier tonight was another example of that.

Jade stopped in her tracks and crossed her arms. "Oh come on. You mean you wouldn't have done the same thing? Sure…"

Beck couldn't help but smirk at how effortlessly it seemed that Jade saw through him. "Fine. What's really going on? I mean, you went from like, normal Jade angry to a whole 'nother level tonight."

He hoped that Jade would say something, but just stood there, with a look on her face like he should know why she was so angry. "Trina?" He asked, pretty sure that that was it.

Jade kept her mouth shut but her heavy breathing was enough of a tell for Beck to know he was right all along. Pulling her into a hug, Beck held her for a moment, just letting Jade's anger boil over, however she wanted to convey it, if it were just sulking, pouting, crying, whatever. After a minute of her standing in Beck's embrace, it seemed her breathing had returned to normal. Beck was almost ready to let go when he heard her swear under her breath, "I fucking hate her for what she's done to her."

He didn't need any further explanation, no need for her to go into more detail or justification. He simply pulled back slightly to see the tears begin to drip down Jade's face, blurring her mascara. Beck smiled, admiring how in these moments – when she was seemingly at her most vulnerable – that Jade seemed to be the most beautiful. He gently ran his thumb across her face, wiping away the lone tears which had escaped her eyes. "I know… and nobody blames you for feeling that. Certainly not Tori."

The last bit, that was what Jade needed to hear, and the smile on her face showed it. But as Beck pulled her back in for another hug, the smile began to wane away. Jade knew better than to think that this was it. And if the past were any indication, but she would be there for Tori if and when the fallout came to fruition.

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 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	5. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Chapter 5. Down the Rabbit Hole**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

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 **...**

 **The Vega Residence - December 10th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

Morning seemed to arrive quickly. Too quickly for their personal tastes honestly, as Andre had been sleeping quietly and peacefully on the floor just in front of the couch, the pillow which he had rolled off right beside him. Meanwhile Tori, having drank less than Andre, was awake but barely functioning. At the moment, her extent of moving was limited to being wrapped up in her comforter and sheet, her hands and eyes glued to her phone. It had long ago become her morning ritual, going through TheSlap and seeing if anyone had put up a new status.

 **Robbie Shapiro: Cab driver tried to steal Rex! Never going into one again!**  
 **Feeling: Violated**

 **Jade West: Why does Beck have toaster pastries and no toaster or microwave?**  
 **Feeling: Annoyed**

 **Cat Valentine: Watching Robbie nearly get into a fight with a LA cab driver…**  
 **Feeling: Speechless**

Tori smiled at viewing Jade's status, feeling her pain as well as finding herself a bit hungry herself. "Thanks Jade," she whispered under her breath as she continue to scroll through the status updates. Robbie's and Cat's seemed to most stand out to her, particularly how it was that they their cab drive back from Tori's house could devolve into a situation where a cab driver would try to steal Rex. Thinking for a moment about Rex and his behavior, she shrugged her shoulders, realizing that there were plenty of reasons which might warrant it.

A loud thud which echoed from downstairs tore Tori's focus away from her phone. _Did Andre just fall?_ She didn't even give her mind a chance to doubt it as she jumped out of her bed, flying through the hallway towards the stairs. Peeking her head into the open, she scanned the first floor, her best friend completely out of sight. "Andre! You OK?" She called out but didn't hear anything. No response. Nothing.

Taking a few steps down the stairs, a loud inaudible grunting came from near the kitchen counter. Leaning her head out further in hopes of getting some sort of look, she could barely make out what looked like Andre's upper body, a pizza box covering the greater extent of it, and one of the stools lying beside him. Her eyes widened in concern, "Andre!? You alright?" She prayed that he would respond with something more than a grunt.

"No…" It was low in pitch and had her running towards him, fearing that the worst could have happened to her best friend. Once she was a few steps away, she heard him speak again, the usual tone with which he typically complained in, "I got pizza cheese in my hair!"

Tori couldn't help but laugh at her friend's predicament. "You know it could be worse," she said as she helped her friend out, removing the pizza box and taking a moment to appreciate the sight before further helping him up. Lying on the ground, there were several slices of pizza which seemed to cover Andre, ironically mirroring how pepperoni seems to cover a slice of pizza. "That could have been a fresh pie. Just imagine," she began as she extended an arm outwards, leveraging her weight to help pull Andre up. "All that warm, melted cheese as opposed to that, it'd be so much worse."

Andre shivered at the very notion of being covered in warm cheese, prompting Tori to almost burst out laughing. Sadly too, he wouldn't so much as crack a smile as Tori held a hand over her mouth, doing her absolute best to keep herself from laughing any further. "Oh come on Andre, even you have to admit that that's hilarious!" He only grinned at her. In the back of his mind though, it was sorta funny, but not so much in the way that he was covered in pizza cheese, but more like it would be hilarious if someone else were coated. Like, if their roles had switched and it were Tori covered in cheese, he would dying of laughter.

Pulling off a slice of pizza from his head, he examined it for a moment before taking a hearty bite of it. As he lifted his eyes though, the expression on Tori's face was more one of a disgusted surprise than anything else. Chewing a few more times and then swallowing, he gaze a blank look at Tori, unsure of what made her so uneasy. "What?"

Tori tilted her head to the side slightly, letting out a slight chuckle at Andre's expense. "You remember my first day at Hollywood Arts, when you said normal is boring?"

Andre took another bite of pizza, nodding as he chew. "Yeah."

"It's times like that, with what you just did that make me wonder if maybe being normal would be a better option!"

He smirked in response to this, "You know, I said it before and I'll say it again. Why would you want to be normal when you can be something special?"

Tori crossed her arms. Besides the fact that it was felt way too early to be having a discussion like this, the fact that she hadn't had any coffee yet and that Andre looked ridiculous, it was nearly impossible for her to take any of it serious. "Well, a normal person would offer to let you use their shower… But-"

At that logic, Andre was quick to object, throwing his arms up, conceding to the Latina, "Fine… fine… You're _normal_ … I guess," he shivered at saying those words, like someone speaking of a taboo.

She smiled, but more in the 'I'm glad that you see it my way' kind of way. Oh how she would have liked to watch him just stand there, stewing in his words, but every minute that she denied him the shower was another minute that she was effectively denying herself the opportunity to shower too. Not to mention the longer the smell of cheese and sauce in Andre's hair was far from a pleasant scent. "Go ahead…"

If there was ever a time that she had seen someone run as quickly as she saw Andre rush towards the stairs and up to her bathroom, it completely escaped her. In the entire sequence – no more than what seemed like a second or two – the only glimpse she saw of her friend was the moment that it looked like he almost tripped running up the stairs. That aside, it Tori a moment to process the fact that now she stood in her kitchen alone, really wanting coffee.

"Ugh," she moaned as her body struggled to move across the kitchen to the automatic coffee maker. When her parents bought it last year, she couldn't understand the justification behind the purchase. For her at least, there were a handful of coffee shops that she could have gone to, just on her route to Hollywood Arts. Should she branch out in maybe a half mile radius, there were probably another dozen options available to her, so opting to go with this automatic method than personally prepared by a barista seemed like a betrayal. Flash forward a year and the few hundred dollars she had since saved, and she still struggled to comprehend how and why she hadn't thought of getting one earlier.

 _French Vanilla, Breakfast Blend, or Italian Roast… Hawaiian Blend? Wait, when did we get that?_ That was the one downside to having these coffee pods; it seemed like every other week they were coming out with new flavors and like clockwork, her mom or dad would be there to buy them out. Rather than think any further about which flavor to go with, she picked blindly, grabbing the first thing she got a grip of and put it into the machine. Then like a hawk stalking its prey, her eyes stayed glued onto the thin stream of brownish liquid that poured into the mug she had put down moments earlier.

It was like a one-two punch; first the beautiful scent of the coffee filling up her nostrils as her face stayed within inches of the cup. But it was the taste, the first sip of whatever flavor it was striking her lips and tongue that really got her moving. Maybe it was that she was a little bit hungover, or maybe that her body was processing her waking up earlier than normal – which it may have been, given her being too lazy to actually check the time. Either way, the taste seemed to be more pronounced, more appealing and gravitating.

And hotter.

Too hot.

Even though she saw the steam coming off the top of the mug, for whatever reason she hadn't considered that it would actually be hot. And now she was paying for it, the burning sensation running down her throat, her hand pressed against her chest as she hoped that for whatever reason that it would help with taming the heat. For a minute, she stood there paralyzed in her kitchen, leaning against the counter, her mind cursing at the coffee while her head wanted her to keep drinking it regardless. Harnessing all of her possible will power, Tori restrained herself from further burning her chest cavity away, opting instead to search for some leftover pizza that didn't fall onto Andre's hair.

 _And who says miracles don't exist?_ Tori enthusiastically thought as she peered through the boxes which had been left on the table, coming up with nothing on two of the boxes but managing to find a lone slice of pizza left in the final viable box. Holding the pizza up to her face as if it were some sort of precious artifact, Tori was almost reluctant to eat it. _I'm hungry. But it's been sitting out there all night. But it's pizza! Then put it in the fridge and save it until it's cold. But what if Andre eats it!? Do you really think he would eat it? He ate pizza that was in his hair… Good point, maybe you should eat it._ The internal debate going on in her head had Tori wondering if that was what it was like for Cat.

Ultimately, it wasn't even really something that should have been doubted about. After all; it was pizza, she was hungry, Andre was probably still hungry, and if she didn't eat it, he probably would. Put together it simply spelled out one inevitability; that she would go hungry, unable to cope with the fact that the final slice of pizza which could have been hers fell into Andre's hands, and eventually fall into a great depression only to be revitalized by ordering another pie just for herself. _This is why I need coffee in the morning and not pizza…_

Moments like this, though seldom, worried Tori. One minute she's debating with her self-conscious about whether or not to eat the last slice of pizza and then a second later she's hypothesizing an over-the-top doom and gloom scenario that ties directly into it. _Damn it Andre. Just had to get me to drink. Just had to give me a hangover._ Whatever false sense of angry she may have held towards her friend in that moment seemed to just erode away more and more with every bite she took, her lips progressively curving upwards in symmetry. Come the final bite, all that slow progress that had been building seemed to immediately reverse itself into a frown.

"Now, where did I leave you," she spoke aloud, her voice a mix of disappointment with a faint trace of sleepiness still applied to it. If it were a minute or two ago, she probably could have found it just by her sense of smell, but by now the aroma from her cup of coffee was far less potent. Turning around and checking the opposite counter, she clapped her hands briefly with glee at the sight of her cup, in the same place that she had left it – and forgotten about it. Picking it up, with as much carefulness as she treated the slice of pizza moments earlier, she found herself again stopping herself before indulging in the item before her.

Unlike earlier though, she wasn't about to get into another internal debate. She made a mistake earlier in immediately drinking the coffee, which was foolish of her. But by now, it's had time to cool off, and she's had time to reflect on that point with a nice snack, so it was worth trying again, this time hoping that she hadn't jinxed herself.

"Much better!" She exclaimed, now convinced that she could begin to wake up and actually function as a human being as opposed to a zombie. And with each sip she took, more and more it seemed that life started to come back into her, her being her usual cheery – albeit slightly hungover – self by the time there was little more than a few drops left in her mug.

Time seemed to move rather quickly from that point on. Andre had completed his shower after not too long, no longer tormented by the bits of cheese that dangled from his hair, though his shirt was still the odd one out. He took his leave as Tori proceeded upstairs for the shower now, hopeful that the cheese did not clog the drains and very slightly optimistic that Andre would wait to leave until after helping to clean up.

Needless to say, when Tori returned back downstairs free of anything that might have even mildly smelt of alcohol, she could only find herself facepalming. Particularly at herself, at the notion that Andre would stick around while clothes reeked of pizza and liquor. Even she probably would be hesitant about doing that. So, for as irritated as she might have been, she took the high road, sending him a friendly text rather than calling him to complain.

 **Next time you're cleaning up after the rest of us. Got it? ;) – Tori**

The fact that Andre didn't respond right away led Tori to believe that he was probably driving home, which was commendable. Why jeopardize his safety for something as meaningless as a text. "Heh," she chuckled aloud at the hypocrisy of her own rational, knowing that she herself would probably answer the text. This led to her questioning if maybe Andre was purposely just ignoring her text for some reason or another. Now the longer he didn't respond, the more she began to get annoyed with him.

She laid her phone on the table for a minute as she watched it, her eyes keening in on it, hoping that the next time it vibrated across the table it would show a text from him, saying something like 'Of course my dear friend Tori Vega. I will absolutely deal with all the cleaning following our next gathering. You need not worry.' Her eyes rolled. _As if Andre would ever say anything like that, let alone texting that._

After about another minute of waiting, she gave up on the effort, instead using her time more constructively. Namely, by cleaning up what of the mess there was, which was surprisingly light. _See, if Andre had just waited like 5 minutes to help, he still probably could have gone home before I finished…_ Taking her time with the cleaning, even she couldn't help but be surprised at the entire process took her no more than 10 or 15 minutes. What surprised her even more was that she had become so invested in the cleaning that she hadn't even noticed that her phone had been going off.

Tori snatched it up as she threw herself onto the couch, intending on relaxing for the remainder of the day. Or at least for as long until something came up that might otherwise preoccupy her time. But for the time being, it was early, barely past 9 AM, and add on top of it the fact that her parents were still not home, she didn't really want to do much thinking. Finally, checking out her phone, she smirked at the text Andre had left her.

 **Idk what you mean. I helped clean up the pizza. Remember? – Andre**

 _You're just a helpful man, Andre. You know that?_ She typed away at her phone's keyboard.

 **Yeah sure! Can you just help a little more next time? – Tori**

Only a couple of seconds later, there was a flash on her screen as the phone vibrated in her hands.

 **Ok! Ok! Next time! – Andre**

 **Thanks Dre… - Tori**

 **Anytime, Vega – Andre**

Smiling in defeat, Tori put away her phone as she laid her head against the cushions of the couch. _I have to give it to Andre. If I were drunk, yeah I could easily see passing out here._ The idea seemed somewhat foreign to her, the idea that with her bed being no more than a few dozen steps away that she would bother sleeping on the couch. Maybe it was the fact that she was tired, that it was so early, but even right now she felt pretty comfortable, maybe even enough to take a little nap…

* * *

 **...**

 **A Few Hours Later**

 **...**

"Tori!" The sound of her mother calling out to her pulled her out of her dreams and back to reality, as much as Tori wished she hadn't. Lifting her head up from the couch, she could see both of her parents standing in the doorway, neither having much of a smile on their face. If anything, her father's face could be considered disappointed. She couldn't help but notice a smile briefly appear on her mother's face when she got up, "I'm guessing that you had fun last night?"

Tori shrugged her shoulders, preferring not to recap the fact that Jade almost killed Robbie, that at some point during the night a cab driver tried to steal Rex, or more importantly that she had spilled the beans about what happened Friday afternoon. While her parents didn't explicitly say anything to her about not talking about it, it was more likely than not that it they would prefer it being kept quiet. "It was alright. A little bit more drinking than actual cards," she didn't mind being honest about it. If anything, it were for the better that she was, lest her parents assume that she was keeping secrets.

Her father perked his head up slightly at hearing this, "Nobody drove home last night did they?"

She shook her head, "Nope. Beck and Jade walked to her house and Cat and Robbie took a cab home."

Tori's mother contributed to the conversation, "And Andre?"

"He slept on the couch. Left about an hour ago or so." Was it really an hour ago? She wasn't entirely sure herself, or for even how long she had been sleeping. Quickly taking out her phone, she noticed the time was 10:30 AM. "Eh, actually about 2 hours ago." She noticed the nodding of her father, clearly pleased that none of them drove while drunk; though an argument could have been made, but that was for another time. "So, did you two… Did you two have a pleasant evening?" Tori was reluctant even asking that, knowing that the reason they were both out wasn't for entertainment purposes but instead directly related to Friday's meeting.

"About that, why don't you take a seat Tori?" Her father instructed as he began to walk towards the counter, her mother taking the other open seat, waiting for her to sit down herself. She couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat as she felt both sets of eyes focusing on her, as if they were tracking how much space was between each step she took, how long it was between them, like they were robots or something.

Sitting, she worried about what the conversation was going to be about. Obviously it had something to do with Tori in some manner or another; otherwise she wouldn't be needed for this conversation. Taking a seat, she managed to see out of the corner of her eye her mother's hand extended across the counter, holding onto her husband's. Just seeing that, she had a gut feeling that it was more serious than what they were letting on.

"So Tori," her father began. "Yesterday's meeting was… well, the last thing that as parents we want. We're very, very happy that you are alright and what your principal assumed of you proved to be wrong." He took a deep breath, "That said though. _You_ are in the clear, but the situation is larger than just you. And, and we don't want you finding out after the fact or from someone else, but… It's more than likely that…" His voice trailed, obviously having trouble coming to terms with whatever it was that he was hoping to say.

"What? More than likely what?" Tori asked, innocently enough. While her father was a bit distraught, she couldn't help but think that he was just selling the moment for dramatic effect. That any second later he would be all optimistic and unload some amazing news for her.

"It's very likely that there will be criminal charges brought against your sister in the next day or so…"

Tori's heart sank at hearing this, it being a complete contrast to what she had actually expected, and far from what she was looking forward to hearing.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	6. And Through the Looking Glass

**Chapter 6. And Through the Looking Glass**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Vega Residence - December 12th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

The weekend seemed to utterly fly by, and not by her own design or intent. If anything, she probably wished that time could be rewound back to an earlier period, one where the events of the previous Friday afternoon and the results of it never happened. She wished that when Monday morning arrived, she would wake up and everything would be as she hoped it would be. That her mom and dad would be nothing but smiles and cheerfulness, that she could just go to school on Monday and she wouldn't have to worry about any of her friends asking how she was, or anyone else finding out – as if they had any way of that.

Unfortunately, her dream wasn't realized.

The morning came, her body exhausted from a lack of sleep. Last night, and the night before, she found her mind working in overdrive, even though she couldn't recall or remember thinking about anything in particular. Stress maybe. Maybe it was just the college search that was getting to her. She had applied to UCLA, praying that by going with early admission that it would increase her odds of getting in. But what if it didn't work? There were other schools that she was looking at, whether or not she got into UCLA's program, but really they were as much to satisfy her dad's wishes as they were to try to get more money in scholarships and grants.

 _"Don't throw your eggs all in one basket"_ , he told her. " _Make sure that you consider all of your options, and be ready with a #2 or a #3 in the event you don't get into your top choice."_ While she hadn't said so to her dad, UCLA's program really was her top choice. And the idea of being forced to go to a different school with a performing arts program, especially now that she knew that Andre was applying there too, oh how she would not be looking forward to getting a letter of rejection.

But that wasn't what was keeping her up the past few nights, and she knew it. She just didn't want to admit it. Hell, she didn't even want to accept that it was fact, and so instead of having a fun weekend, one in which she could inevitably join Jade in mocking the misfortune that had befallen Robbie and Rex, instead she was a recluse, staying in bed and avoiding contact with others. Even in spite of his best efforts, Andre was barely able to get much out of her, other than perhaps a few cryptic responses with the overall intent on avoiding the subject.

 **Yo Tori, what're you doing today? – Andre**

 **Hey! Tori! Things good? – Andre**

 **Yea – Tori**

 **You sure? – Andre**

 **Yea – Tori**

 **Think you can give me a little bit more than just a "yeah"? – Andre**

 **I'm fine. – Tori**

 **You wanna talk about it? – Andre**

 **Not really.. – Tori**

 **Ok. You know I'm here if you need me. – Andre**

 **I know… - Tori**

 **Thanks Andre. – Tori**

 **Anytime girl! I'll see you Monday! – Andre**

That conversation took place Saturday, and even then, the idea of Monday seemed like such a distant one that a part of her was convinced it would never arrive. Now though, as she woke up and struggled with her daily ritual of getting ready for class, every minute that it got closer to the start of school it seemed like time slowed down. By the time that she was walking out of her house towards her car, she was already several minutes late, risking being late for the first time in over a year if she continued at this slow pace. Pulling out of the driveway to the sound of nothing but the natural world penetrating through her closed windows; she drove off. Never once did her eyes glance over to anything other than the road, ignoring everything, including her phone, the stores nearby, or even someone who might have been walking an adorable little puppy. Everything else was just white noise.

* * *

 **...**

 **Mr. Pickle's Classroom, Hollywood Arts**

 **...**

By some miracle, she had managed to get to her first class on time, though just barely. In fact, if it weren't for Robbie distracting the teacher with Rex, she might not have gotten into the room and into her seat before he took notice. However, even though she was in class, her head wasn't. Instead, it fixated around the events that took place early Saturday morning, the conversation that she and her parents had which ultimately shaped her weekend.

...

Flashback:

...

"It's very likely that there will be criminal charges brought against your sister in the next day or so…" Her father's tone was as heavy and serious as she had ever heard him speak.

"What?" It was all that she could muster, even that one word seeming to be a challenge. "You're… You're not serious right?" She hoped for her father to nod in agreement, to say that it was just an elaborate joke. But the longer that he said nothing, the less she could believe it.

"I wish it were the case," he said. _How could he be so solemn, so seemingly unfazed by all of this?_ "Unfortunately, the situation has reached a point where it's looking like the only possible outcome."

"But… how?"

"Well, for starters they have the pill bottle-" He began, though Tori was still as reluctant to believe it.

"Helen just gave the pills away? Said 'here you go, go arrest her?'" Tori was beside herself, not sure why she was defending her sister so much as she was angry at her dad for not trying to.

"You know that that's not how it went," David Vega resumed again, holding up his hand as an indicator for her to be quiet as he explained. "They found the pills in the possession of a student. On campus. If they had been in a bag or even just loose in his pocket, we wouldn't be having this conversation. But they found the pills in a bottle with her name on it, Tori. That's something that can't be ignored."

"Well what if the kid stole the pills? You ever consider that?"

David Vega sighed and rubbed his eyes. He had figured that Tori would be protective of Trina, but he didn't figure she'd be this passionate about it. "Yes, of course I have considered it. But it doesn't-"

"Then why are you just willing to have her arrested? You're a cop! You're supposed to protect the public! To protect your daughter!"

He slammed his hand down onto the counter, the suddenness of it causing not only Tori, but also her mother to step back in surprise. Her father simply closed his eyes for a moment before he lifted his head up, looking directly into Tori. "The student had the pills. That's possession. They said that Trina sold them the pills, and it has her name on it. She may be innocent. But it doesn't change the fact that to whomever has the discretion to produce the charges, they have a link between her and the other student. If she's innocent, it'll have to be proven. I can't do that." His words were cold, and just what he said surprised Tori. If she were innocent? If it were Tori who was accused, he would have turned the world on its head to prove her innocence, but with her sister it seemed like he was just conceding it.

She refused to believe that.

"No." Her voice was hoarse, weak, but at the same time having a type of strength with it. But more importantly, there was something else in it. Anger. She was angry at her dad, angry at the fact that he was throwing his daughter, her sister, away like a common criminal. She was angry at her sister, for letting this happen. Hell, she was angry at Helen for bringing up the pills in the first place. And she was angry, just angry to be angry.

"Tori…" For the first time, her mother spoke, but her voice seemed just like how hers was earlier, timid. It was understandable though. Tori couldn't have imagined how it must feel, knowing that one of your daughters may be going to jail and the other one was angry and wanted to know why. But at the same time, she couldn't understand how Tori was feeling. Hell, how could anyone understand when even Tori didn't know how she was feeling?

"No!" Tori lashed out, throwing her arms out in objection as she got up and out of her seat as quickly as she could, getting away from her parents entirely as though they were infected. Corrupted.

Corrupted. Probably the best way to describe how it seemed, an impossible situation which seemed like it was purposely stacked against her sister, and she couldn't do a single thing about it. She pointed at her dad, her eyes red and teary, her heart and brain struggling to understand everything about what was going on, "You… I don't believe you…" She struggled to find the words, just saying the first thing that could come to mind, "There's more you can do… you… you just aren't!"

She didn't wait for her dad to respond to her at all. She just ran up the stairs, quickly as she could, making sure not to look back, not to let them see her face, to see the tears begin to fall down her cheeks. Once inside her room she slammed shut the door as quickly as she could, the single most important thing in her life right now being able to lock the door as she leaned against it. Her legs felt weak, her head felt light, and before she even knew it, she had her knees up against her chest, her face looking into them as she cried in silence.

Crying because she knew there was nothing she could do.

...

* * *

"Tori!"

The voice of her teacher snapped her out of her daydream, to unfortunately the sight of nearly every eye in the classroom now turned and focusing upon her. After a very quick glancing view at everyone, she looked up to see the teacher, his gaze as fixated as the rest of the class, if not more than them. "Tori, is everything alright?"

She blinked a few times, tilting her head very slightly to see what was written on the board. Though it was tough to say, it looked like it was something having to do with some sort of election, a likely case given that the class was US History, but at the moment it could have been a foreign language to her. "Um… Yeah. Sorry…" Tori stammered, trying to dismiss the attention that she had garnered.

The teacher eyed for her a moment longer before turning his back himself, allowing her to go back to her business. The fact too was that Tori was a model student, never late, never missed a class, always got good grades. If it were another student, such as Robbie for instance, then he might have been more critical as to why they weren't paying attention, but Tori had earned herself a bit of leeway. But that said, the fact that she wasn't particularly focused was probably an even bigger red flag which the teacher took a mental note of. Should it happen again, maybe it would be best for someone to address, someone more appropriate.

People very quickly started to turn around in their seats, going back to their work. Some of them were hoping that there was going to be some sort of drama between Tori and the teacher, and needless to say a few were visibly upset to know that this wasn't the case. As heads turned and eyes shifted back onto their textbooks, Tori smiled slightly and sighed in relief, just wanting to get through the rest of the class without any more interruptions.

And it didn't take long until there was another interruption. Tori, who had been copying the notes from the blackboard into her notebook, felt a tap on the shoulder, and shifted her head slightly, only to jump in her chair in surprise. The surprise being the puppet Rex's face being only a few inches away from her own. With the yelp which escaped from her mouth echoing through the otherwise silent classroom, everyone again turned their attention to Tori and Robbie, a frown on the teacher's face. "Robbie! Rex!"

She could see Robbie swallowing in guilt at being caught, Rex covering his head behind an open book, "Sorry Mr. Pickles…" Robbie's face turned red with embarrassment as Rex shamelessly slapped at the boy's head.

Mr. Pickles shook his head slightly and again turned his attention to copying down more notes for the students, hoping that there would be no more interruptions. If the students were this distracted in their first period class, he didn't want to imagine how bad they'll be once they were actually awake and functioning.

Tori though, again found herself daydreaming about what took place on Saturday, though more on what happened later after she flipped out at her parents.

...

Flashback:

...

She wasn't sure for how long she had been crying, or even for how long she had been sitting against the door. She had to imagine that it was for a while, as the sunlight which penetrated through the window now fully engulfed the room in light rather than only some of it. "Probably noon…" she whispered under her breath.

She thought about getting up, about maybe calling Andre, seeing what he was doing. Hell, maybe spend the day chilling with Jade. Either option sounded better than listening to her dad trying to justify having Trina arrested. Even though she… even though there were mixed feelings between the two of them, she was still Tori's sister.

Tori sighed. It just didn't make any sense to her.

The sound of a knocking on her door caused her to lift her head up, the back of her head tapping against the door. She didn't say anything. She didn't want to talk. "Tori? Are you in there?" It was her dad. A part of her wanted to tell him to go away, but she opted instead for silence.

"Tori… the last thing I want you to think is I am abandoning her. As much as you might think otherwise, I'm not." She felt something bang against the door on the other side, realizing that he was mirroring what she was doing, leaning against the door as he took a seat on the floor of the hallway. "I'm an officer of the law. If I just ignore what she's done, I'm as guilty as she is. And… And maybe this way she can get help…" There was an awkward silence for a few moments, Tori torn in her feelings. On one hand, she wanted to be angry at him still, but at the same time, she understood where he was coming from. It was a lose-lose situation, for both of them.

After a minute or two more, she heard her dad get up and proceed down the stairs, while she just simply stayed lying against the door. She thought about the last thing her dad said, about it maybe being a way for her to get help.

 _Get help…_

If only she had gotten help earlier. Maybe this whole thing could have been avoided.

...

* * *

 **A/N: I am not an expert on California Drug Laws, but hopefully I'm not too far off as far as this story goes.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	7. A Window Towards the Break

**Chapter 7. A Window Towards the Break**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **5th Period Study Hall - December 12th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

The rest of the day seemed to go quickly following the first period class. Maybe it was the fact that it was the last week of class before the school went on Christmas Break and everyone, teachers and students included, were more excited about that than they were the lesson plans. Even for Tori, still reeling over the events of Saturday and how it seemed that there was this sort of silence that utterly blanketed the Vega Household from that point on. She hadn't made any attempt at trying to speak with her father, feeling equally ashamed of how she lashed out at him and upset of his willingness to separate himself from the incident emotionally.

Was it wrong of her to feel upset about the whole incident? Trina hardly deserved any of Tori's sympathy given everything that had taken place with them since she had come to Hollywood Arts, but even in spite of that, Trina was still her sister. If any of her friends had been asked, like Andre or Cat or Jade – oh especially Jade –they would have said that Tori doesn't owe her anything, but they didn't understand. There just wasn't any way for them to understand. At the same time though, if it were one of their relatives in the same position that Trina was in, Tori doubted that she could understand either.

As the day went on, she tried her best to put the thoughts behind her, putting her attention and focus towards her school work. Even though she was at the top of her game right now, if the other schools she was going to apply to happened to see that there was a dip in grades, well it wouldn't look very good for her. Perhaps the most reassuring thing though was that none of her friends had really pressed her on if she was OK or not. Well, Robbie did, but he always just assumed that there was something wrong, regardless or not if she was. She just dismissed his concern as nothing more than his unique way of greeting her in the morning.

And the fact that other than her first period class, it wasn't until about her fifth period study hall that she had any other interaction with her friends, Cat being the only one of the group in the class. Even though they were part of arguably one of Hollywood Arts' largest senior classes in the history of the school, their study hall was practically barren. Aside from Cat and Tori, there were only about 5 or 6 students there at any point, perhaps no more than 10 students in total on the class attendance list. Given that it was a study hall though, it wasn't uncommon for students to get up and walk out, perhaps go out and get lunch from a nearby fast food place if they were so inclined, or just hop into a different class. It also helped that their teacher didn't care all that much where the students went.

Even though she had a perfect attendance throughout the year, this study hall was the one exception for Tori. It wasn't exactly uncommon for her to arrive 5, even sometimes 10 minutes late, but it also worked greatly in her favor that she had the teacher last year – and naturally, aced their class. So, as usual, she arrived a little late, not too late, but only perhaps 3 or 4 minutes late, nodding to the teacher as she entered the room as a way of indicating she was there. The teacher nodded in response and then turned his attention back to the book he was reading.

Cat was already sitting in the back of the class like how she always did, that way she and Tori could talk without having to lower their voices at all. Her attention was fixated on the window, happily staring outside as if it were a TV set. When she turned her head to see Tori walking towards her, the enthusiasm she showed had the Latina convinced that she was going to jump out of her seat! "Tori!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms in a tight hug, unknowingly pulling tighter, "How have you been!? It's been so long!"

Tori smiled weakly as she felt Cat's arms squeezing the life out of her, "Hey Cat… Think you can let me go?" She saw Cat's eyes widen as her grip released, Tori taking in a full breath as she proceeded into her seat. "So, how've you been Cat?"

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Cat exclaimed!

Tori looked stunned, surprised by Cat's question. Granted, it wasn't exactly shocking that Cat would be like this, but every so often, she had her moments when she just surprised you, like this one. "Uh. How was your weekend?"

A wide smile appeared on Cat's face, "Oh it was great! Boy do I have a story for you! So get this. When Robbie and I left your house we had our taxi go to my house-"

"Wait, Cat," Tori interrupted the redhead, "Did both of you go to your house or-"

"No, well, yes. I mean the cabbie was going to drop me off at my house and then Robbie at his, but that was what I was saying. So he dropped me off at my house and then as I'm getting out of the car, Robbie said good night and then I said good night to him and then I said good night to Rex and then Rex said good night to me." She looked at Tori, making sure that she was paying attention, and seeing her nod, she continued. "And so the driver heard Rex speak and then he flips out, saying that Rex was a possessed demon or something like that. And he's grabbing Rex and trying to take hold of him and Robbie's trying to keep him."

At this point Tori has her mouth over her mouth in an effort to ensure she doesn't break out in laughter. She had a very vague idea of this story based on Cat and Robbie's statuses on TheSlap and just reading those gave her a laugh. That she was getting the whole story, boy this was exactly what she needed on a day like this. "So wait, why was the cab driver trying to steal Rex from Robbie? Because he thought Rex was a demon?"

"Yeah!"

"But, if he thought Rex was a demon, why would he want him? Shouldn't he want to kick Rex out of his cab?"

"Yeah, that was what he was doing. He kept saying 'we has to run the demon down!' 'We has to run the demon down!' And Robbie was like, 'What are you doing?' And he was like 'I'ma drive over the demon toy!' And so the two of them were basically fighting for Rex and eventually Robbie said that he was just going to walk home." Cat abruptly stopped after that.

Tori rolled her hands in hopes of getting Cat to continue on with the story, "And?"

Cat looked confused. "And what?"

Tori facepalmed at this, "And what happened after Robbie said he was going to walk home?" She hoped that Cat would get the hint. That what she was really curious of was if she and Robbie had finally hooked up or not.

It looked like a lightbulb went off in Cat's head, a huge smile appearing on her face. "Oh! He said good night again and he started to walk home."

Tori just sort of looked at Cat for a moment, a part of her feeling bad for Robbie, having been caught in the friend zone for what seemed like the entire time that she had known him. Another part of her wanted to laugh at the whole scenario, and as Cat was telling the part of the story about the cab driver and Rex, she was giggling every so often. Towards the end, it just started to sound sad.

* * *

 **...**

 **Some time later.**

 **...**

After a little bit, the two of them just started to chit chat about the usual gossip, a lot of it focused on the upcoming Christmas Break, the near 3 weeks of doing nothing more than sitting around, enjoying the warm winter California weather, pretending to know what snow is, and all the fun stuff that typically was associated with the Holidays. Hearing Cat enthusiastically go on about her plans and how excited she was, it brought mixed feelings to Tori. Not that they were against the redhead, but more just that she imagined that during that same period where she would be having a grand celebration, whatever would end up happening with Trina would be going on too. Far from the festive time and merriment that Christmas was supposed to convey.

"Do you agree Tori? Tori?"

Tori lifted her head up, surprised that she had again daydreamed. It was one thing to do it during her first period class, but during her firth period class? With Cat talking to her no less! Tori gently banged her head into her desk, hoping that something, if anything, would help get her mind out of the clouds and back to reality. "I'm sorry Cat. What'd you say?"

Cat smiled, "It's OK! I was saying, do you agree that there should be a big Hollywood Arts Christmas show? Where we can all perform and stuff like that, underneath a giant Christmas tree!?"

Tori chuckled at Cat's question. "You know, it does sound like a great idea. Certainly one that people could get behind. But…"

Her redhead friend frowned, "But?"

"Maybe it's just the fact that it's senior year. You know, all these auditions and stuff for colleges, I guess I'm just a little bit burnt out with performing…"

Cat had a shocked expression on her face, "But! You're Tori Vega! You're like Hollywood Arts' number 1 performer! You can't be burnt out."

Tori blushed slightly at Cat's flattery, "Please. There are tons of other great performers here. They don't need me."

"Oh please! Name two!"

"There's you," Cat almost jumped out of her seat in excitement hearing Tori say that she was a great performer. "And there's Jade." The mentioning of Jade brought a slight look of surprise to Cat, but she couldn't help but nod in agreement. Even though Jade was an incredible screenwriter and playwright, she was also an impressive performer; the quintessential definition of the ideal Hollywood Arts graduate.

"Aww," Cat began as she again put Tori within a tight bear hug. "Tori, that's so sweet of you to say!"

"Cat…"

"Hmm?"

"Choking me…"

"Oh!" Cat again released her grip, giggling as Tori took in a deep breath, "Sorry!"

The two of them resumed their conversation, pretty much phasing out the remainder of the classroom, though that was pretty much unnecessary. Other than the two of them, there were only about three other students in the classroom, along with the teacher. Of the students, one of them was sleeping, one was playing with his phone, and the third was actually doing schoolwork. The professor seemed fixated on his book from the very beginning, at least until someone stepped through the doorframe, causing him for the first time to actually put down the book. "Yes?"

"I need to see Tori Vega," Lane Anderson calmly spoke, his voice being passive yet friendly all the same.

The teacher nodded. "Tori!" He called out, actually causing the sleeping student to wake up, but more importantly also getting the Latina's attention. Judging by Tori's face, it was clear that she wasn't expecting to see Lane, and didn't particularly want to see him either, especially after Friday. She looked at the teacher, frowning as she saw him point to Lane, indicating that she was to go with him.

Cat noticed this as well, looking up at Tori as she began to get up from her seat, "Everything OK Tori?"

Tori turned her head and gave her a reassuring smile, "Yeah. Everything's fine." Once she saw Cat smile in agreement and turn her focus back to the window she was looking at earlier, Tori turned and proceeded towards Lane.

 _Everything's fine. Except for the fact that apparently the guidance counselor needs me. I can't POSSIBLY imagine why. Especially not after Friday..._

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	8. From Lips Unsealed

**Chapter 8. From Lips Unsealed**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Lane Alexander's Office - December 12th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

Lane's office. Going to it always felt so odd. Being in there always seemed to be a bit strange, but at the same time, every different time that Tori was in it, it almost felt like it was a new adventure. There might be new knickknack laying on one of the shelves or maybe one of the motivational posters that he had hung up were replaced by a psychedelic painting and things of that nature.

But that aside, there was also a degree of uneasiness about being there. After all, it was still a guidance counselor's office, and for as cool as Lane was with the students, being there typically signified something. And unfortunately for Tori, pretty much every time that she had she been there was because of something in which she could have been blamed for. The incident with Jade and her fake black eye, when Trina got hurt, they were just a few of the times. And of course, there was the incident on Friday which even Tori couldn't deny, she was still angry about. She didn't show it, but she wasn't at all pleased, neither at Helen nor at Lane.

As such, she wouldn't be in the wrong to consider being sent to his office almost like a form of retaliation. But she knew Lane better than that. He wasn't for the idea of taking little shots like this, especially towards someone who had a good repour with him like how Tori did. If it were say Trina or Jade, then it might be a slightly more believable story, but not in her case. Once the two of them had both arrived within his office, she stood there awkwardly while Lane took a seat in what looked to be the most out of place chair she had seen in his room, a small circular doctor's spinning chair.

Lane spun around for a moment, immediately causing Tori to realize just why he would have opted for a chair that was so… bland. Even she was no stranger to playing around in the chairs when either the doctors weren't there or otherwise standing, so she understood the appeal. That said, it was a bit strange seeing a grown adult playing with it. As the teacher stopped spinning, he glanced at Tori, extending an arm out towards the couch which remained in the center of the room, just across from Lane's chair, a small coffee table standing between them. "So Tori, have a seat! Please!"

Tori reluctantly took a seat on the couch, though she was sort of wanting to stand in defiance. But for as much as she wanted to be obstructive, it wouldn't help matters at all, especially with something so petty. "Now, before anything, I feel I'd be remiss in my duties if I don't say that following Friday's... meeting, I just want to reassure you that anything that may be said here between you and I will be kept confidential." Lane's tone both conveyed the seriousness that she expected out of him, but at the same time, the kinder tone that made him so approachable.

But at the same time, even though he sounded sincere, Tori was a bit reluctant to fully believe him. "Look, no offense Lane, but after Friday... I find that a little difficult to believe."

Lane nodded in acknowledgement. It was by no means a shock that she might still be a bit angry. Given what happened to her, any student who was in that position would have reacted the same. "That's understandable. It's never fun to be accused without any warning, without any-"

Tori almost jumped out of her seat, her face one of anger, the complete opposite of the timid-ness shown on Friday. "You weren't the one who was being accused of being a drug dealer!"

Lane swallowed. While she was a model student, other teachers – and he was no exception – sometimes mistakenly believed that that meant that they weren't to show any emotion, certainly not negative ones or those of anger. "Look, I recognize that and symphonize with you. Now, while I'm reluctant to excuse Principal Dubois for jumping the gun, drugs are a serious issue on campuses. We're no exception!" He hoped that this explanation would satisfy, but all but knew that it wouldn't.

"Jump the gun!? Lane, you heard you too!" Tori yelled now. At this point, she was just angry. Everything that she was feeling Friday was coming to the surface and she wasn't about to stop now. "She said it outright, if it weren't for my grades, if I had been a typical student, nothing special, then I would have been kicked out!"

"Hold on now, she didn't explicitly say that she was going to kick you out of Hollywood Arts." Lane threw up his arms in hopes of getting her to relax slightly. He expected some anger, but with this, Tori was surprising her.

Tori crossed her arms and leaned back in the couch. "Sorry. Arrested. Is that better?"

Lane held his hands to his face in a praying-like motion. "Tori, I'm not the enemy here. I agree, how that meeting went on Friday was wrong. Ms. Dubois was wrong in how she approached the issue. It doesn't do any service to the student and like you saw and how your father illustrated, hasty decisions like that can have repercussions." Speaking calmly often worked well in terms of settling down students. He hped that this would be true as well in this case. "Now, I agree, you have every right to be upset, but wouldn't you say that you're being a little bit dramatic?"

Tori didn't waste a beat in continuing with her venting, "I don't think so! Like, say Helen - in spite of her being wrong - went ahead with everything. How long would it be until I'm proven innocent?"

Lane frowned. As true as it might have been that Tori would ultimately be vindicated if things from Friday escalated, Tori brought up a good point. There was no clear telling how much time it would take before that happened. And really, for all his time as being a guidance counselor, he hadn't been involved in something like that before, so he doubted he could give her a reliable answer. "Tori..."

"No! Really? A month? Two months? And what about the colleges I applied to? What am I supposed to tell them when they ask me about this, if they even approach me at all? 'Oh, don't worry about it. Right now my principal is just being a bitch, but it'll be resolved soon.'" At this point, Tori was nearly hysterical. She wasn't crying, but it did become obvious to Lane one thing, that this wasn't just about Friday. Granted, Friday's meeting definitely left a powerful impact on her, but this outburst, this rage, it was motivated by something else too.

At this point, Lane had to step in. It was plenty clear that she was going to vent, but there were teachers and facility who passed by his office door. It was in both of their best interests if Tori refrained from cursing out them, especially the Principal. "Tori!"

"What!?"

She looked like she had actually managed to calm down for a moment, though it was tough to say entirely. The fact was that she was obviously angry, but there was a point where anger blinds someone, and if things continued along this way, he doubted he would be able to achieve much in speaking with Tori. "I get that you're angry. But, but what I'm getting right here, you are way above where you need to be. You're at like a 9, a 9 or a 10. I need you to bring it down a little bit, to like a 4. Alright? Can you do that?"

Tori said nothing in response to this, instead just sulking and further submerging herself deeper within the confines of the couch. She glared at Lane, similar to like that of a child upset about a toy taken away from them. He simply smiled in response to this, though it was nothing more than a ruse. She was angry still, and he knew that well enough. Dismissing why would be a mistake on his part.

"So I have an idea Tori. Let's just, let's just talk about something else. Does that sound fair?" He waited for a response, but it wasn't looking like she up for speaking, not just yet. She did however nod in response to his question, which did garner a genuine smile from Lane. "That's good…" He paused for a brief moment, "Have you given much thought as far as what schools you'll be applying to?"

She nodded, slow to speak up, but resolving herself. "Yeah. I had applied to UCLA earlier last month."

Lane rose an eyebrow to this, "Applied? So…. Early admission then?"

Tori nodded, "Yep!"

"What major?"

"Performing Arts," she said with pride.

"Very nice. Now, the cutoff date for most schools with regards to early admission, that's passed hasn't it. So I take it then that that was why you had your parents take you to UCLA last week?" That Tori took the route of going with early admission came as a little bit of a surprise to Lane. Hollywood Arts, because so many of the students were performers, they had to compete for spots in very limited sized programs, and UCLA was no exception. Because of this, often a student who might have done great in an audition could still be denied, so often students instead just applied to colleges around this point, right as the Holiday season was coming up. That way, the one routine that everyone was focusing on could just be used over and over again for each audition, rather than learning one earlier in the year and another one later.

Lane took notice that in talking about schools instead of what happened on Friday, Tori's demeanor seemed far more approachable, far calmer than before, which was a considerable relief. Compared to how she earlier, seeing how she was acting now was like a night and day difference. It was also why he was mentally kicking himself for the remark he had just made. Tori could have easily considered it as an attempt to flash back to Friday's meeting. Fortunately, it didn't seem like she did, or at least her face didn't show it.

"Yeah. For my audition. Now it's basically the waiting game. I mean, I'm hoping that I get in. It's my number one school, but I mean, I don't know. I feel like everyone here is going to apply there though so it's like, a lot of competition…" Her words trailed off. Hearing Cat's words of encouragement, how she described Tori as one of the best performers at Hollywood Arts; that only seemed to further increase the pressure. How was she going to be able to accept that she got denied from the program when someone who was probably less talented getting in?

Lane though, like the guidance counselor that Tori knew him best to be, was there with the words of encouragement. "Well, it is possible that others from Hollywood Arts may apply there too. I mean, every year I've seen that school among one of the top choices when it comes to the graduating class. So, it's reasonable to assume you're going to go up against a good deal of competition, but I think you're selling yourself a little short. Wouldn't you agree?"

Tori shrugged her shoulders a bit. In her mind she knew she was a top student, but she had no way of knowing what the admissions thought of her. For all they knew, she could have been some teenage girl who had amazing cheekbones and otherwise bland talent compared to some of the others that they had seen.

"How many of the concerts here have you been in? Be it in a duet, a solo performance, whatever?"

Tori leaned back in the couch, thinking about everything she had been a part of from when she joined the school to now. "Like, I guess like twenty or something like? I'm not really too sure."

"But fair to say that it's been a lot, right?"

"Yeah, fair to say." Tori said in agreement.

"And you're an actress. Jade has gotten a good number of her plays performed in the Blackbox Theater, especially last year and one or two more scheduled for this year. And I know you're often one of the people she most often casts. Fair to say?"

Tori nodded in agreement. It was true. After last year when she threatened to take Hollywood Arts to court over her plays not being chosen due to what the school described as 'personal differences in creative artistry', which Jade basically interpreted as a means of censorship, her plays had become a more common thing within Hollywood Arts' acting scene. In fact, her plays were often the most regarded and the local newspapers had once said that her show last year, _The Cheerleader and the Hatchet,_ was "Graphic, but at the same time a reflection of Hollywood Arts' ability to foster and promote the greatest talents within its student body. Both the performers and those who shaped the vision for it."

"So, taking both things into consideration, the fact that you perform in music and in plays. And that you're often being put in the spotlight among the student body, it'd be fair to say that you're… I'm reluctant to say one of the elite, but you get where I'm going with this." He stopped, hoping that Tori understood what he meant, to which her nod indicated she did. "I think, when you also add in your grades, I'm reluctant to think that you'll be passed over, no less by someone here who hasn't done much in their four years."

Tori nodded in agreement, a wide smile appearing on her face, stretching from cheek to cheek. For as perhaps as justified as she was at being angry at Lane, even she couldn't lie that what he had said to her really gave her a reassured sense of self. Yes, she might have been competing against other students in Hollywood Arts, but it was like a motorcycle racing against a basic bicycle in a race. You pretty much know who'll win, and now, she was pretty confident that she'd get in. But no doubt her dad will insist that she still apply elsewhere, even for as sure of herself as she might be.

Seeing the smile on Tori's face, Lane couldn't help but clap his hands with enthusiasm, glad that finally the Tori Vega that he knew was with him again. "Ah, now there's the Tori I was hoping to see! So I don't think you have much to worry about as far as getting into UCLA goes. And you know, early admission can't hurt your odds…"

Tori rose her hand to point at Lane, "That was what I said! My dad was like, 'Ah schools like that don't care if you apply for early admission. Wasting money!'"

Lane snickered a little as he heard Tori imitate her father's voice, comparing it to how he actually sounded like. "It wasn't that long ago, I was reading a study that polled college admission boards. I don't remember all the details about it, but basically it was along the lines of, when a student who meets the intended criteria, you know like SAT and the overall GPA, they're… I think like twenty percent more likely to be accepted when they apply for early admission. They see it like taking a badge of loyalty to their school. So, you're probably good."

"Can I get you to like record that for me so I can show it to my dad? To prove him wrong?"

Lane smiled as he got up from his seat and towards his desk, looking for some sort of file, "I'll see what I can do about finding that study. I think it'll hold more weight than just my word." Searching through the papers, he found the one he was looking for, taking it and proceeding back towards the spinning seat, "But that said, I don't exactly feel comfortable pitting daughters against their fathers. I'm like Switzerland. Stay neutral."

Once he took a seat, he again spun around in the chair, to which Tori rose an eyebrow at. "But, to a more serious note, you know there was more to why I wanted to speak with you. And I'm going to say this outright, if there's anything you don't feel comfortable about talking with me about, that's fine. I'm not going to push you too hard on the matter." He hoped that this conversation would produce something, but given how Tori initially reacted to entering his office, while a little optimistic, she doubted there would be too much gained.

Similarly, it seemed that Tori already had an idea of what Lane was talking about as well. And unfortunately, she knew that it wouldn't be something that she could wish to disappear and it would. That said, the fact that Lane wasn't going to push a conversation that she might not want to have was a nice gesture. "I'm guessing this is about Trina?"

Lane nodded. "I'm not looking to reopen any old wounds that might exist. Believe me, it's the furthest thing that I want. But that said, I mean she was a student here, and I'll be honest, I don't know what happened to her. I mean, she was, what, only about a month away from graduating and then all of a sudden dropped out." He stopped and held his arms at Tori, hoping to make it clear that he didn't mean to be insulting. "I'm just sort of hoping that you can help fill in the blanks."

Tori swallowed. She didn't like the idea of talking about Trina's dirty laundry. Something about it just feels dirty, much like how Lane described it, as opening an old wound. "I… I guess so. What you wanna know?"

Lane sat there for a moment, studying Tori's face. He could see that she wasn't comfortable with the idea of talking, but he had to credit for her being willing to at all. The last thing though that he wanted to do was to push her too hard. He quickly took a look at his watch before he suggested where to start. There was only a short time before the bell rang for the next period, not nearly the amount of time that he was hoping to have to discuss the subject. "Actually… What class do you have next?"

"Method Acting 3."

Lane sort of just stared at Tori for a moment. It seemed like students always forgot that Lane wasn't actually a student, so often enough there were times like this where a student would just assume that he knew what the class was, but he didn't. "I'm sorry, but that's with?"

"Sikowitz," Tori said.

Lane nodded. "Alright. Well, the period is just about over and probably for the best that I don't keep you any further. I mean, study hall is an excusable class. Method acting, probably not so much." He got up from his seat, gesturing for Tori to get up from hers as well.

"So, we're done?" Tori asked, confused. Did Lane really call her into his office so he could ask about Trina and then not ask about Trina. Not that she minded entirely, but just found it a bit odd. She found herself standing there by the couch, waiting until he actually said they were good.

Lane turned his head and smiled as he took a seat in at his desk, "Yes. Tori, thank you again for coming. Like I said, what we discussed, it wasn't personal," he said with regards to Friday's meeting, trying his best to not further reference it. "And as far as your sister, I wouldn't mind if at some point in the future we could pick back up on the conversation. If for no other reason than to, you know, provide me with what happened. Put my mind at a bit of ease."

Tori gave Lane a weak smile, glad that he wasn't looking to push another date for her to come by his office. And also that he didn't push harder on Trina. Granted, at least right now she was a bit reluctant to go into the details of all that, but at least he was polite about further asking. "Maybe. Thanks again, Lane!"

Lane waved goodbye as he watched Tori disappear behind the now closed door. Reaching for the large bottle of lotion that was on his desk, he sprayed some into his hands before he looked down at the files, putting Trina's file away in one of the desk drawers.

It probably wasn't the best idea to try to mend fences with Tori and find out about Trina at the same time, but at the same time, it could have gone a lot worse than how it did.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	9. Coming Due

**Chapter 9. Coming Due**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Asphalt Cafe - December 16th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

Monday ended with Tori passing on making an attempt to further her conversation with Lane. She had to admit, she felt a bit better after having spoken with him, but there was a difference between acknowledging that he had helped her relax a bit and her wanting to go into detail about Trina. Fortunately, he never approached her, inquiring about when they might speak again.

Tuesday was the same. From the moment she had arrived in her first period class to the moment that she was leaving her ninth period class and proceeding towards her car, never once did she see Lane. Nor did any of her teachers relay any message about him wanting to speak with her. Nor did they remark about her behavior either, a very welcome change compared to how the day before had gone.

Wednesday was the first day and the first day that it became plainly clear that for the remainder of the week, nobody – none of the teachers, regardless of what they taught – was too fixated on teaching students any new material or things like that. Instead, classes were dominated by distracting students with Holiday movies, making them study periods, or otherwise just allowing the students to teach themselves. Now, in some cases it proved to be a pretty successful experiment, the students seeming to be far more engaged than how they might have been in the past. More of these experiments ended up being failed ventures than anything else.

To Tori though, the main thing was that again, Lane hadn't pressed her on the issue regarding their meeting on Monday. She wasn't sure how long it would be that the guidance counselor would try to find out what happened, but she figured, or more she hoped, that it wouldn't be the case by the time they all returned from the holiday break. Even among their circle, Tori's friends hadn't inquired about Friday or about Tori's meeting with Lane. If there was one thing to commend Cat for, it was her willingness to keep personal matters to herself, even when there was a lacking of context.

Once Thursday had come around, or more specifically by the time that they had gotten to their lunch period at eighth period, Tori was convinced that Lane was sincere in what he meant, that he was not going to push the issue. However though, that had unfortunately become the least important thing on her mind by that point. Unbeknownst to her friends, Wednesday night had brought unfortunate news to the Vega Household, news that each of them - Tori, her mother, and her father - all knew was eventually coming, but each hoping that it wouldn't.

...

Flashback:

...

David Vega had been on the phone for what seemed like hours. That was probably because the tension only seemed to build up more and more as each minute passed. Tori sat at on the couch while Holly Vega sat at one of the stools against the counter, both of them listening intently to David's half of the conversation. Even then though, the limited number of words spoken didn't seem to provide much context into what was happening, nor did the tone at which he spoke with seem to give them any indication of what might have been happening. Except for doom and gloom, of course.

"Are you certain that there's nothing that can be done?" David's voice echoed, desperation reeking in each word spoken.

Tori only looked at her mother, the two of them exchanging glances at one another, neither saying a word. Tori hoped that she could have gotten some sense of reassurance from her mom. Something to make her believe that things were going to be alright. That was her job though, wasn't it? A mother bear protects her cubs. What was her mother bear doing?

Instead, Holly simply frowned at the sight of her daughter, shifting her focus towards her husband than having to look at her daughter, being unable to provide an answer for her concerns. And as much as she hated it, she felt her dismissal would hurt Tori less than her lack of knowing.

"I get that. But surely... That's not what I'm implying at all." It was hard to tell if David Vega was negotiating, begging, or just fighting with whomever it was that he was talking to. It was clear that whatever they were going on about, he wasn't exactly having the best time trying to argue his case. Whatever his case was.

"Is everything alright? David," Holly's voice was weak. She didn't want whomever her husband was speaking with to hear her, but she couldn't keep sitting while the brutal kicking feeling kept growing in her chest. There was a difference between this and when he worked normally. She was used to being left out of the loop. They may have been talking about suspects, investigations, things that didn't concern her.

But this was her daughter. It wasn't some suspect she didn't know.

And it was Tori's sister. She had a right to know too.

After all, Trina had dragged Tori into all of this, even in spite of how much they wished she hadn't.

"No, I'm not saying that. Oh come on... you know me better than that," David's voice rose as his composure seemed to wane. As Holly watched, she couldn't help but lean back slightly, perhaps out of fear than anything else.

David sighed.

"Yes... Yes I agree that it can't be... Believe me, I'm not proud..." It sounded sort of like he was going to cry, or at the least that he was defeated. Mentally, emotionally, physically, the conversation he was having was taking a toll on him, even in ways that Tori couldn't see. All she saw was her dad seeming to break down.

Tori watched as her dad just listened. No more talking, no more of him throwing himself to the mercy of whomever it might have been that was on the other line. It was just her, her and her mother, listening. Waiting.

"When?"

Tori perked her head up at this, as did Holly. It was the first thing that had been said in what seemed like an eternity, incredibly enough as the silence seemed to consume far more time than the actual talking did.

"Since around April," David continue to speak into his phone, nodding his head every so often, even once in a blue moon rolling his eyes to his wife. He rather not show any eye contact towards his daughter. Not that he didn't care about what she thought, but on the contrary, because he most cared about what she thought. The best thing right now was to not give Tori a false sense of hope with varying glances, but instead give her the final decision once he knew it too. "May 2nd... Yep..."

May 2nd. Trina's birthday. Trina had always preferred the term 'birthweek', but her parents – her dad especially – was loathed to indulge any further in that tradition, so now saying it was her birthday had a weird connotation to it. Earlier this year, it was first time that the previous ritual, the week-long celebrations, none of it was indulged in. Tori thought back to the day, when she had come home from school to find the house empty, only a hastily written letter and a legal document left on the coffee table.

Her reflections of that day preoccupied herself from the discussion that her dad was currently having, and to a certain degree, she was happy for that. Now though, as the scene was brought back to focus, she listened intently again, hating every minute of it.

"Already?" David sounded surprised, a new twist to how he had been acting up to this point. "The principal didn't say, so I don't know. I mean, it's a high school student. Probably 17, maybe 18?"

Tori just kept listening. She knew that he was talking about the other student, the one who had been caught with the drugs. The one who bought the drugs from Trina. The one who dragged Tori into this whole mess.

"A plea? I see…" David straightened himself, no longer leaning against the counter. "No, no I agree. I would do the exact same for Tori."

Was Tori supposed to smile at hearing that? She wasn't sure how she was supposed to interpret that. She guessed that it was something good, but it was impossible to say for certain.

"So, tomorrow then? That quickly?" David began to go through the drawers, hastily looking through one after the other, looking for something. Holly had gotten up from the stool and was looking across the table, hoping to get an idea of what he was looking for. A moment later, he turned around again, a pen and what might have been a post-it note in his free hand. "No, no I understand. I'm just… I'm surprised, you know."

He said nothing and instead just wrote down something, sliding the note across the table to Holly. Even though Tori couldn't see what was on the note, she knew it wasn't anything good, just judging by her mother's face. Holly had a look of dismay, like she was ready to cry, just from glancing at the note.

"Alright. Alright, thanks Ted." David hung up the phone. At the same moment though, she finally had an idea as to who her dad was speaking to. Ted Cabot, a man that Tori had met only once or twice, only when she was a guest of her father during an LAPD benefit dinner. He was her dad's boss, the Assistant District Attorney of the city of Los Angeles. If her dad was speaking with Ted, well chances are it wasn't anything good.

"Well?" Holly spoke, her voice almost cracking in the process.

David sighed and put his cell back in his pocket. Just by how he looked, it was tough to entirely determine how he might have been feeling. Angry? Probably. Ashamed. Equally viable. Disappointed? No doubt. Satisfied? Difficult to tell, but not something that could be dismissed as an option. "Well, the DA who's dealing with this case, he's moves quick. Damn quick."

"What do you mean?" Holly asked.

"The student, Tori's classmate, who they caught with the pills. They're pleading them out."

Tori, who had been listening at this point, almost jumped off the couch in response to hearing this. While up to this point she didn't have a problem with just being an observer, there was little chance of that now. "Pleading him out!? What do you pleading him out?"

David bit the inside of his mouth as he spent a moment building up the resolve to explain everything to Tori. He could already tell her reaction wouldn't exactly be very encouraging. "From what Ted said, they'll plead guilty to possession of a controlled substance. More than likely a misdemeanor, and who knows the actual punishment."

Tori was in disbelief. The student was going to get off? They dragged her through this hell, and nothing happens to them? "So.. they're just going… they're just going to be go free?"

David shook his head, "I don't know. I hope not. The charge can call for up to a year in jail, but if they're pleading him out, I'd imagine a shorter sentence, maybe a month. Two? If nothing else, they'll have to register as a drug offender, which'll impact them more than they realize."

Holly spoke, "So what does that mean for Trina then?"

There was a very brief moment of silence before David spoke again. "They're going to arrest her and bring charges against her tomorrow. Selling of a Controlled Substance." David turned to his wife, his voice hoarse, "Holly, they're charging her with a felony…"

...

* * *

"Vega… Vega!"

Tori looked around, feeling slightly out of place. Better to say out of line? Out of line for getting something off of the Grub Truck. Truthfully if it weren't for Jade, she might have just stood there for the majority of their lunch period. As she regained her focus to her surroundings, she could see the Goth just looking at her, both of her hands on Tori's shoulders. If Tori had to guess, Jade was only seconds away from shaking Tori violently, like a rag doll.

"Oh, um, sorry Jade…" Tori's cheeks were bright red. The last time that she had blanked out like that was Monday when she was in study hall with Cat, and at least in there there were no people who actually gave any concern or regards towards it. After all, when texting, sleeping, and making a sandwich are all permitted and never given a second glance, someone zoning out was hardly a concern. The thing was, she had zoned out in public, while on line for food, with people who may have been behind her watching, along with people who were seated at any of the nearby tables.

She hoped her quick apology would satisfy Jade, but it was clear by the look on Jade's face that it hardly did. "You alright Tori?" Hearing this caused Tori's eyes to widen slightly. It was rare that Jade addressed her by her first name, and most of the time when she did, it was in a negative manner. Right now though, the way she used it, and how she said it, it was different. Weird. Because it was Jade addressing her as a concerned friend.

"I'm… I'm sorry?" Tori couldn't help but find herself taken aback slightly by Jade's words.

Jade produced a weak smile, patting Tori on the shoulders, "Everything good?"

The color in Tori's cheeks subsided slightly, though she couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed by Jade's look of concern. For someone who had made a reputation for herself as being a bad ass and tough girl, right now was probably one of the best opportunities for her critics to take aim. Not wanting to ruin all of Jade's cred, Tori nodded and brushed Jade's hands off of her shoulders. "You'd best be careful Jade. You want people thinking that you actually care? And about me no less!?"

Jade stood in place for a second, seemingly frozen with fright. Tori had a point; a damn good one at that. It was one thing to reassure the Latina in the janitor's closet, but it was another to do it out in public. Jade quickly shot glances around her, doing both scanning the various tables, seeing if anyone was paying attention to her and Tori, and also making sure that if anyone was, they would see her eyes of death.

Tori, watching the whole thing, had a huge smile on her face. It was only when Jade noticed it and punched her in the shoulder that it dissipated. "Ouch!" She said as she rubbed her shoulder, worried that the Goth's punch would leave a bruise. "And here I thought you cared, Jade…" Tori whined.

Jade rose an eyebrow as she grabbed Tori's wrist, pulling her back towards the line for the Grub Truck. "Hey, just remember that I could have left you standing there like a brainless zombie."

"If you say so…"

The two of them waited on line for a few more minutes as the line of people in front of them began to dwindle away. With what had been like a dozen people originally had quickly shrunk to only three or four people now ahead of them. But even then, it seemed like it was taking forever. It felt like forever for Tori at least because she had neglected to eat breakfast that morning.

"So Vega, what are your plans for break?" Jade asked, hoping to kill the boredom of waiting in line. She didn't care too much about what Tori was doing, but in the back of her mind, she had a hunch that the Vega family was in some form or another dealing with what Tori had described Friday night with Trina. That said, she wasn't going to ask that outright.

"You know, it's crazy. We get like, three weeks off, and we know this months in advanced, and yet, like only a day away, I haven't given it the slightest thought." Tori jokingly said. To an extent, it was true. She was so focused on keeping her grades up and her performances and auditions that she hadn't given much thought to how she was going to enjoy this break. "I'm definitely going to catch up on some much, much needed sleep."

Jade smiled as she nodded her head slightly in agreement. "I hear ya on that. These college essays have been a huge pain in the ass."

Tori rose an eyebrow, "College essays? Where you thinking of going?" Her interest was now genuinely peaked. She knew that Andre had put an application into UCLA too, but other than him, she didn't know where anyone else was looking to go. Robbie had said he was looking at schools on the East Coast, but where exactly it wasn't clear. Beck, he hadn't said a single thing as far as college. Jade, she could pretty much go anywhere that she wanted, but similar to Beck, she hadn't said a thing. Today was the first.

"Eh, you know I've been applying everywhere. I haven't really narrowed-"

The feeling of something wet and slimy covering her shoulders and hair caused Jade to completely lose her train of thought. That, along with the deathly silence that quickly consumed the Asphalt Café, had her thinking someone had just made a huge mistake in possibly throwing some food which accidentally hit her.

When she turned her back, she couldn't believe what she saw.

Right behind her, someone had taken the liberty of pouring what seemed like an entire order of Chinese food all over Tori, completely covering her hair, head, and shoulders. Jade was simply collateral damage.

Behind Tori, there were several male students, all of them slightly taller than Tori and Jade but much more muscular, smirks of victory and glee on their faces. Jade didn't know them very well, but she knew their faces. _Jocks… Fucking assholes…_

The student in the center, the one holding an empty white food carton, put his hand on Tori's arm as he lowered his mouth towards her ear, speaking spitefully, utterly dismissive of if Jade or the people around could hear. "That's for your fucking sister, Vega! Because of her, my brother is looking at a month in fucking prison! Probably going to lose his scholarship too now! So thanks Tori! Thanks for ruining his fucking life!"

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 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	10. Boiling Point

**Chapter 10. Boiling Point**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Asphalt Cafe - December 16th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

Tori stood there stunned.

She wanted to cry.

She wanted to be away. It didn't matter where. Just anywhere that wasn't here, right now.

But she was still there, standing there in the Asphalt Café, unable to do anything more than feel paralyzed as Chinese food fell from her hair, landing in a small puddle of soy sauce and vegetables that began to build where her feet stood. All around her, people's attention was fixated on her, but she couldn't register a single pair of eyes, other than the ones of utter shock on Jade's face. She couldn't believe it, and Tori didn't want to either.

"What's wrong little Tori?" That voice. In spite of it being an outdoor, public cafeteria, in spite of the people who were watching, gasping, making snide little remarks as they all eagerly took out their phones and began to record what was going on, that was the only voice that Tori seemed to be able to hear. The voice of the kid whose situation mirrored Tori's. The kid whose brother was arrested, just like how Trina was about to be. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"Haha, nah. Asian people don't eat cat. They eat dog!" A different voice, one that Tori never heard before spoke. Disrespect. Disrespect, racism, and ugliness just rolled with every word that whomever this person was spoke. She didn't bother moving, not even turning her head to affirm her suspicion that the person was just some guy who was with their asshole friend.

All she could do was fight every urge in her body to cry, every feeling and desire to run away from there as quickly as possible.

But Tori couldn't. As much as she wanted to, as much as it made sense and she would be justified in, she couldn't. She could only further look into those green eyes of Jade, looking for some sort of answer. Looking for a reason why this was happening to her.

Jade couldn't understand either. She couldn't fathom what Tori had done to deserve this. She understood that it was because of Trina, that wasn't any shocker by any stretch. But what would they get out of humiliating and berating Tori? As she finally managed to tear her eyes away from Tori, seeing the boys who had actually done this, it made her blood boil.

 _Jesse Endelson. Senior. Basketball player for Hollywood Arts. Not exactly talented, or even any good at singing, performing, or anything._ A quality that made her wonder why he was accepted into the school in the first place, but upon thinking about it, it was even more a parallel to that of Tori and Trina. Jesse wasn't talented, and neither was Trina. Tori was talented and so was Jesse's twin brother, Josh, who was considered to be one of the best students at Hollywood Arts alongside Tori.

There would even be some who would say he was the male version of herself, but Jade knew better to believe that. One might consider them both to be the smart "tough" student in Hollywood Arts, but Jade was smart enough to 1) not get caught with drugs while on school grounds, and 2) never to trust Trina Vega with anything, let alone buy drugs from her. Really, the fact that it was Josh Endelson who got caught buying drugs from Trina, it was as much embarrassing as it was entertaining, that smart people could be so damn stupid.

But for his own faults, Josh had no business having his brother get involved, let alone go after Tori. She hadn't done a single thing to them. Hell, before today, Jade couldn't remember a time where the Latina had even spoken so much as a word to either of the Endelson twins. "Fuck off Jesse!" She practically roared in anger at the student, to which he and his two friends averted their attention off of Tori and onto her. Similarly, the rest of Jade and Tori's friends had gotten up and where amassing near them as well, creating their own large posse.

"Excuse me?" Jesse spoke, the way he spoke like he was hazing a new freshman, hoping to intimidate them. Jade didn't budge, hardly registering anything other than more contempt towards the man.

"You fucking heard me! Just because your brother is stupid enough to get his ass arrested, doesn't give you any right to do this to Tori!" Her words were like venom and as she spoke of Josh's arrest, everyone who was watching couldn't help but hold their breath in suspense, panicking that things were dangerously close to blows.

In fact, even some of the closest tables to what was going on, along with everyone who had been waiting on line for food, had backed away now, leaving a rather open area. In fact, if someone were to just be walking by and had no context of what was going on, even they would be convinced that there was going to be a fight of some sort. That was certainly a concern that was felt, indicated as much by Beck trying to gently pull at Jade's elbow, trying to gently nudge his way in front of her while equally trying to have stand safety behind him. Andre was trying to help Tori in some way or another, guiding her in the safety behind Robbie and Cat, both of whom tried to console her to no real effect.

Jesse's face was beat red, unbelievably angry at Jade's remarks. So much so that he could practically feel the nails of his clenched fist begin to cut into the palm of his hand. It seemed that in that moment, that he had forgotten entirely about Tori, instead focusing solely on Jade. "I don't give a damn if you's a girl or not, you say another about my bro and I promise I will drop yo ass!" At hearing that, Beck pushed himself forward right before the athlete, both of their faces only about a foot away from one another.

Jesse had a dumb smirk on his face, thinking that he had done something clever, while Beck now was looking angry, angrier than what most people in Hollywood Arts had known him to be. Even Andre, whom he considered his best friend, was surprised by how Beck was reacting to Jesse's tone. That surprise wasn't reciprocated in Jesse, "What's wrong pretty boy? Did I offend your girlfriend there?"

"I'm only going to say this once. Back. The. Fuck. Up." Each word was spoken eloquently. Each word spoken with the same emphasis.

But Jesse did not seem to waiver. Not in the slightest.

Rather, he chuckled slightly.

His two friends did as well, but it was obvious by how timidly they spoke that it was more out of peer pressure, not out of confidence. There wasn't that great of a difference between Beck and Jesse in terms of their physique and size. Jesse might have been a bit taller and stronger, but his reputation as a bully was more like a dog that was all bark and no bite. Beck had gotten himself into a few fights over the last few years, but he had always walked out of them as the victor.

"You think you're tough? How 'bout you back up and let the freak stand up to a real man," he said, his eyes glaring at Jade, hoping that there would be some sort of fear or a bit of concern in her eyes, maybe at the idea of her boyfriend getting involved in a fight, but she only responded with glaring eyes herself. It was going to take a lot more than empty threat from a punk kid like Jesse Endelson to intimidate her. "Oh, girl thinks she's tough? Is that it?"

Jade chuckled as she leaned her head slightly to the side, "I don't have to _think_ I'm tough to know that you're not gonna do shit." She tilted her head back in Beck's direction, "But I know my man will. So why don't you do us all a favor, save yourself the embarrassment and a broken nose. Apologize to Tori!" She almost yelled out her command, the thunder and loudness of it being a contrast to the quieter tone that everyone up to that point had been speaking with.

Jesse cocked his head back to see his friends, eyebrows raising slightly at seeing his friends seeming to have taken a step back. Mouthing something to them in disappointment, he tensed and turned back towards Beck, Jade, and company, the back of his mind hoping that at least that his two friends wouldn't show their doubt any further.

The gloating smirk on Jade's face proved that otherwise. She noticed the steps too, even sooner than Jesse did, and seeing him turn his head back towards them, words could not describe how validating it was to see. Even before Jesse had turned back towards them, Jade gently pulled on Beck's shoulder, reigning him back in. There's nothing gained from further posturing to an idiot.

And unfortunately, this idiot didn't process what Jade said earlier. "I ain't apologizing to that bitch. Hell, she ought to be fucking apologizing to me!" He took a step towards Andre and Cat, both of whom were standing between him and Tori.

This brought Jade to a boiling point, causing her to reach into her pocket, pulling out a short blade, looking like she had broken a pair of scissors in half and then kept one of them in her pocket. "Don't you take another step!" She barked out as she held them out like a knife.

This caused Jesse to laugh out loud, "What? You expect me to be afraid of a broken pair of scissors!? You goth freak," he dismissively said as he extended his hand out with the intent of taking them from Jade.

Jade pulled her hand back, just as the jock closed his hand.

Nobody saw the blood slipping through his fingers, falling to the ground. At least not before Jade held up the custom-made knife she made, the knife which Jesse mistakenly assumed was just a toy or something.

"AH!" Jesse cried out in pain as he opened up his palm, blood stemming from the long cut which seemed to extend the entire width of his hand. His other arm gripped his wrist, unable to believe what Jade just did. "Ah, you fucking… you fucking cunt!"

Andre, who had been focusing on trying to calm Tori down, couldn't help but see Jade's knife and Jesse's hand. He slowly lifted his head as he focused intently on Jade's face, particularly at the smirk she had as she examined the knife. "Jade, how long you've been carrying that?"

Jade shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. Like a year or something? Why?"

Andre just blinked. "No reason…"

"The hell is going on here!?" The deep voice of Hollywood Art's security guard, Derek echoed through the Asphalt Café, it having a surprisingly dominating effect on everyone there – Jade, Beck, and Jesse included – causing them to freeze in place. He pushed his way through the crowd of people who had encircled the group earlier, followed shortly behind by Lane Anderson and another teacher who worked at Hollywood Arts. As he entered the circle, the first thing that Derek seemed to notice was the knife in Jade's hand, "Put the scissors down…"

Jade rose an eyebrow to Derek and then nonchalantly dropped the knife, causing it to fall to the ground between her boots, over the droplets of blood that had already fallen. "Alright."

Lane moved forward to the center of the crowd, his field of view bouncing between Jesse's bleeding hand, Jade's knife, and Tori who at this point was for the most part rid of the Chinese food that had earlier covered her. Now though, sauce and a select few bits remained, but otherwise her situation was slightly better off, barely. "Jade… Tori… What happened!?" He seemed bewildered, surprised more than anything. The sight of Jesse's hand was far from a welcome sight, but he felt a bit more concerned about Tori's situation than Jesse's; due in part to Jesse's known reputation and the fact that Tori to this point hadn't spoken to him again – which Lane secretly had concerns about himself.

"I'll give ya a guess," Beck callously said, tilting his head towards Jesse, who was having his hand examined by the other teacher. At least, examined to the extent with which a teacher could come into contact with it.

Lane looked over his shoulder towards Jesse, noticing that the athlete turned his head immediately in response, hoping to avert eye contact. "Derek," he called out, keeping a look at Jesse, his eyes also noticing the white food carton which had been discarded earlier. "Take Jesse here to the nurse's, will you?"

"What about her?" He asked, pointing towards Jade, still a bit reluctant to get anywhere close to her, making his task of retrieving the weapon a bit of a challenge.

The guidance counselor looked to Jane for a moment, and then Tori, before turning to the security guard, "I'll take them in my office." Derek nodded and departed with Jesse, similarly keeping a bit of distance away from the student's open wound. Though it didn't look very deep on the surface, the security guard preferred to be more conservative than risk anything. Once he and Jesse were out of earshot, Lane turned towards the entire group, Jade included. "I want all of you to come with me. So I have an accurate idea of what happened."

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 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	11. Tears & Crumbling Walls

**Chapter 11. Tears & Crumbling Walls**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Lane Alexander's Office - December 16th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

It wasn't very long before the group was in Lane's office, save for Tori. She had been given access to what was commonly referred to as _'Helen's Torture Chamber'_ by the student body, but was in reality just a private bathroom, equipped with a full shower that the Principal had ordered constructed following her first year at Hollywood Arts, equipped with a supply of surplus clothes that people had left behind which Helen 'confiscated', some even in Tori's size. Plus, the fact that the distance between Lane's and Helen's office – and by extension, her private bathroom – was so close was a great convenience to Tori, effectively enabling her to completely avoid the heavy student traffic that otherwise would be there if she were going from the gym showers to Lane's office.

Tori had expected that once she was got back to Lane's office – per his directive as he allowed her to use the shower – that all of her friends would still be there waiting for her and then they would be permitted to go to their final class, with a note of course which would explain why they were late. Rather, most of the group was gone. Looking through the small window on the door, all she could see was a single person in there other than Lane.

Jade, seated on the couch with her back to the door, being careful watched by Lane from his spinning chair.

The Latina wasn't sure if she should have been happy to see Jade there, or otherwise concerned that it were just the two of them there now. _Where'd everyone go? Cat, Beck, Andre, Robbie? Rex!? Did Lane really let all of them go while I was gone?_ She sighed before opening the door, the sound of which caused Jade to immediately turn around in her couch, what almost looked like a happy expression appearing on her face. That almost immediately disappeared as the Goth chuckled aloud, "The hell are you wearing, Vega?"

Tori looked down at the shirt she was wearing. It was far from something she was wearing. More, it looked like a shirt that someone from the 1970's would wear, not someone in the 21st Century. "I'm just happy that it fits and isn't covered in soy sauce…" A weak smile flashed on her face, one that was hardly believable, but just intended to pass along the impression that she was OK.

Jade and Lane both saw through it, each of them putting on their poker faces and flashing weak smiles of their own.

"Tori, take a seat please," Lane said as he held his hand out to the open spot of the couch beside Jade. As she did, Lane rose both hands to his face as his elbows rested on his knees, "So Tori, while you were getting cleaned up, we spoke with your friends. They pretty much affirmed my initial suspicions that what Jade did was in, well self-defense. Now, there still has to be an example set, but Jade, I think given the circumstances, and the fact that tomorrow's our last day of school for a few weeks, I'll just say… A day of in-school suspension."

Jade folded her arms as she leaned back on the couch, a scowl on her face. "I don't deserve my record being fucked over because there's some need to hold me accountable for what even you agree was a justified act."

Lane rose his hands in concession. He had dealt with Tori unloading on him earlier in the week; he wasn't up for going against an angry Jade in the same. "I won't be reflected on the record, don't worry. Consider it more…" He thought for a moment and snapped his fingers at his mind's brilliance, "Consider it like you're putting on a performance!"

Jade shrugged, "Fine. As long as I don't have to explain it to colleges."

Lane smiled and shook his head softly, "No, you'll be fine. But, I do want to know what prompted this whole thing in the first place. While I do agree that Jesse Endelson threatened to engage in a physical confrontation with you, context is very important." He looked at Tori, his face stoic, "Think you can tell me why he was targeting you specifically, Tori?"

Tori had been quiet for the most part since she had taken a seat on the couch, and when prompted by Lane, she was less than forthcoming. The guidance counselor took note of this, relating back to Monday when she was reluctant to speak about Trina. This time though, he wasn't going to let her leave until she gave an actual sufficient explanation. "We can sit here for as long as you'd like. Justified or not, I have to know the details so Jesse can be properly dealt with, if necessary. So we can sit here for the remainder of the period, all of next, even into after school if you'd like."

Jade was surprised by Tori's reluctance to speak, and the fact that Lane was seeming threatening to hold both Tori and herself after school wasn't something she was any at all interested in. "Tori, just tell him!"

Tori bit the inside of her lip. Now she was dragging Jade into her problems now, which only further ate at her emotionally. "He… He was just being a jerk. That's all."

Lane listened to her speak, but kept his eyes focused on Jade, paying particular attention to the dumbfounded expression on her face. Just by that alone, he could tell Tori wasn't telling the whole story. "That was it? He was just being a jerk?" Tori nodded in agreement. "Now, forgive me Tori, but I've dealt with jerks at this school before, and I'll be honest with you. This is the first time that I've ever had one of those jerks dump an order of Chinese food onto someone else's head, particularly someone who they've never associated with, barely spoke with other than perhaps one or two words in passing. I know Jesse can be a jerk, but I've never known him to be _that_ much of a jerk."

Tori just shrugged her shoulders, not sure what else to say. More specifically, not sure of any good lie that would counter the logic Lane was using.

Jade sighed as she just looked at Tori. She understood that Tori might not have been wanted to talk about Trina, but really, she couldn't think of a way that the Latina was going to be able to get out of it this time. And really, for as much as she regarded Tori, that she knew so much as far as he Vega sisters' strained relationship was concerned had her wondering how and why Tori was keeping so quiet.

Lane leaned forward a little bit, hoping that Tori would at the very least look him in the eyes, but she found herself unable to even do that. But looking closely, he could see that she was struggling with something. "Wouldn't you say that story is a little bit of a reach?"

Again, he was met with silence.

"The fuck Vega!? Just tell him!" Jade's patience was quickly fading. And if Tori didn't start talking soon, God help her, Jade would.

Tori turned her head slightly towards Jade, not saying a word. Instead, just looking at her. But it was her eyes, eyes that were holding back tears, eyes that as much said "sorry" as they said "help me". Looking into them, Jade now felt a burden being placed on her, one that mirrored a long while ago, the same burden that devastated her.

Lane shifted his focus to Jade instead of Tori, "Jade?"

Jade looked at Tori for another moment, hoping that the Latina would give her another sign, but she didn't. Finally, Jade closed her eyes, for that brief moment cancelling out the image of Tori's face. Sighing as she opened her eyes, she lifted her head up to meet with Lane's eyes. "Jesse. He said that his brother was arrested. That he was looking at like a month or something of jail time, and that it was Trina's fault. That she, ruined his fucking life, as he put it."

Lane's eyes widened as he found himself backing up himself, though all the while ensuring that he did not lean too far back, given the chair's lack of back support. The truth was, what Jade said wasn't too great of a shock to him. He knew that Josh Endelson was the one who had been caught with the pills last week, but that was the extent of it. He wasn't aware that he had been arrested, or even that there had been charges made out. He couldn't help wonder that if that meant… "Tori…" He waited for her to acknowledge him, which as she lifted her head, he continued, "Tori, do you know anything as far as Trina goes?" At this point he was just assuming that Jade was aware of what was going on. After all, high school students talk, and the two of them, Tori and Jade, he'd seen them act more like sisters than he ever did Trina and Tori.

Tori was quiet for a moment, reluctant to say anything. Finally, she spoke, her voice weak. "They… my dad… He called his friend who works at the D.A.'s office. They said that, that Josh had plead out to a reduced sentence. In exchange, he testified about something, I guess Trina. I don't really know. All I know is that they told my dad that she was going to be arrested today for selling the pills." Tears began to fall from her eyes, traveling ever so slowly down her cheeks, "They said she that she's probably looking at about a year in prison…"

There was a bit of silence as Lane found himself in a state of slight shock. He knew that there was going to be some sort of fallout to the situation, but he hadn't expected that it would be happening so quickly, not in the slightest. On the other hand, Jade was far less shocked. If anything, she looked, unaffected. "She deserves that. And more." She said, matter-of-factly.

"Jade!" Lane barked out, completely shocked by Jade's apparent lack of respect. "That's uncalled for!"

The look on Jade's face, to say she was offended would be a massive understatement. No, it was something far more intense. Anger. She was genuinely angry, angry at Lane for what he just said. "Uncalled for!?" She practically yelled out, "Are you fucking kidding me? How at all is that uncalled for? After the shit that Trina's done to her!? Really!?"

Lane felt like a deer in headlights. He didn't know anything as far as what happened to Trina and Tori and Jade immediately picked up on this, facepalming at his obliviousness.

"Ever since Tori got to Hollywood Arts, Trina's been nothing but a complete bitch to her!" Lane said nothing, instead just allowing for Jade to go on with her rant. Similar to like what happened with him and Tori, he was going to just have to let her speak. Beyond that, she was filling him in on what he knew he wouldn't get from Tori. "I mean, she was always a petty bitch. After all, that's what happens when you're talent less, mistakenly get accepted here, and then find out that your younger sister actually has talent. More than she'll ever have in her lifetime."

Jade's words were like daggers, but they weren't necessarily wrong. None of Trina's transcripts ever showed much success or particular promise in the performing classes she was in. "So, what happens when your little fucking bubble bursts and you realize what everyone had been saying for three years, that you ain't shit? Well, if you're Trina Vega, it means you become an utter and complete piece of shit and go out of your way to try to ruin the only good thing you ever did for this school. To ruin the one person who believed in you…"

Lane didn't say anything, as he was a bit afraid to ask what that might have been. Glancing for a moment at Tori, he could see that the tears were now full tears. She was silently crying, keeping her head lowered trying to just keep completely out of the presence of Jade. Lane grabbed a box of tissues from his desk and handed them to Tori, who just dropped it right to the floor. Jade by this point had stopped herself, a look of concern on her face as she looked at Tori. Lane lifted his head to Jade's, "Go on, please."

Jade sighed. "Last year, like right as the school year was about to end, maybe a few weeks away. Trina had dragged her to a party like a pre-graduation thing, saying some bullshit like, "Oh this'll be fun! You'll meet a cool guy, get you ready for college," all that shit. Well, and Beck was there, thank God. He sees Trina gets her a drink, and he thought he saw her leave a little something in it or something. And then just like that… she's gone…." It was clear by the look on Jade's face, by the clenching of her fist, that she was angry, that she was irate at Trina for what had happened.

"So, she left. Like got in her car and drove off. She fucking left Vega there, alone. You know, Beck's keepin' an eye on her and by that point though, she didn't know where she was… Or even what was going on…" What looked like a tear slowly started to descend down Jade's cheek. Retelling this story, it wasn't easy for her either. "This point, he calls me. He's telling me all this, he's been drinking too, and he's saying things like she's basically a zombie, shit like that. I'm about ready to just be like, whatever, and then he told me what he saw Trina do." She paused for a moment, "That... that was it..."

Hearing this, Lane was wholly perked up in his chair now. If it was what he was suspecting, needless to say it made sense why Tori was reluctant to speak about it. He hoped though it wasn't the case. Jade at this point, there was no doubt that there her eyes were tearing. "So, I got there, and she's a mess. Can't take her home, not like that. We took her to a hospital instead. I didn't know what was wrong with her, Beck couldn't really help."

At this point, Jade took a seat on the couch, her legs feeling heavy, like she was going to collapse. She swallowed and then looked at Lane, "That... that fucking bitch… They called Vega's parents and when they arrived… they said she tested positive for GHB…"

Lane's heart dropped. He hoped it wasn't going to be something like that, and to hear it, it made sense. And it disgusted him. That Trina would do that to her own sister.

"Vega stayed at my house for a bit then. Parents kicked Trina out, dad threatened to lock her away if she ever dare try that again." Jade chuckled very slightly, one out of pity it seemed. "I remember, we had stopped at her house to pick up something. Sheet music or something, I don't remember the specifics. We hear Trina and her dad arguing from outside the back door. I remember hearing him say, "You're never going to amount to anything. You're nothing but a fuck-up."

Jade smiled at that point, the first time that she seemed to since Tori had arrived in the room. "It was the last time we saw her. Didn't see her at school after that."

Lane finally spoke again, "She dropped out after she turned 18." He turned his attention to Tori. She didn't look to be crying anymore, but she just looked utterly drained, like someone had sucked her spirit right from her. It was clear enough that that was a secret she did not want spoken, but at the same time, Lane was sure that she understood – as he did – that Jade hadn't spoken about it in an attempt to hurt Tori. Far from it. He suspected that if there were ever a reason why Jade would tell this secret, it would be only for the purpose of helping Tori. He hoped Tori recognized that too. "How're you doing, Tori?"

Tori just nodded very slightly, not even lifting her head up to acknowledge him. Lane just looked on for a moment before he turned to Jade for a moment, then glancing at his watch. "I'll go let Sikowitz know that the two of you may be late, just may not show for today. Either way, excusable." He got up from his seat as he began out of his office. The last period of class was already in progress, but given how both Tori and Jade seemed affected by that story, by reliving that event, it would be irresponsible to just let them back into class. As good of performers as they may be, he didn't want to risk a meltdown. "Stay for as long as you'd like."

As Lane exited his office and closed the door, he turned his back to the door and sighed. Before today, he didn't know the details behind what had happened with Tori and Trina. Needless to say, what he suspected happened was nothing compared to what the actual story seemed to be. He turned his head for a brief moment to look through the mirror on his door to see how the two girls were. Tori was no longer looking to the ground, instead appearing to be crying in Jade's arms. The Goth simply sat on the couch, comforting her friend.

He sighed and began to walk towards Sikowitz's classroom, but as he walked, he couldn't help but worry about Tori. From what he gathered, she still loved Trina.

But based on what Jade said, it wasn't mutual.

Tori still loves Trina, but Trina stopped caring about Tori.

And Tori still hasn't come to terms with that reality. A part of her is still in denial. And he worried how long it would be until she did finally accept it.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	12. Rehearsed Guilt and Honest Feelings

**Chapter 12. Rehearsed Guilt and Honest Feelings**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The West Residence - December 29th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

Jade had been laying on the couch for what seemed like months, her feet propped up against the ornate table, appearing more like a propped up mannequin than that of an actual living, breathing person. The TV was playing, something was on, a movie or something which had been playing for the last hour or so. Maybe it was a Christmas movie or something, possibly an infomercial for purchasing a time share on some island. Yet in spite of her eyes being glued onto it for the past several hours, she seemed to process so little that the chances of her giving an actual description of what was she was watching now or even had watched were all but impossible. She wasn't interested in what the story or plot might have been anyways. The actors and actresses who played the numerous roles, she didn't care for their performances.

It was the sound that she cared about. Not the dialogue in particular or the music or sound effects. She just wanted something to help drown the memorized sounds that had been plaguing her mind over the past several days, even during her parents' _Extended Family Christmas Dinner Celebration_ , a fancy way of saying have all of your in-laws spending Christmas Eve and Day at your house, utterly removing any opportunity for privacy. It was remarkable that today – the first day she actually had privacy - she would have much more welcome the sound of her annoying cousins than the silence around her now.

 _*Knock*_

A faint sound echoed through her living room, barely audible, but at the same time distinguishable. A knock at the front door. _Solicitor. Don't even bother getting up, Jade. In a minute they'll leave you alone._

 _*Pound*_

The sounds were louder, much more. Jade cocked her head away from the TV to the hallway which led directly to the front door. She stared at it for a moment, not wanting to get up, not wanting to give whoever was there the time of day.

"Jade! Can you open the door please?"

She sighed. Beck. It made sense that he would show up here; after all, they were going out. But couldn't he have come by yesterday, or tomorrow even? Any day other than today really. She could hear him continuing to call out from beyond the door, her getting more and more frustrated as her mind instinctively began to isolate what he was saying, even against the TV. Not even raising the volume seemed to do the trick.

"Come on Jade. You know I'm not leaving until you open this door."

Hearing that, Jade was almost content with it. If he wanted to waste her time trying to get her to come out, she'd play along. After all, it was only a matter of time until he gave up, either out of hunger, the weather – though it was expected to be clear and sunny, but she could hope for a thunderstorm -, or just he'd get bored and concede. "Go ahead Beck… If that's how you want to spend your Friday…" She quietly said under her breath as she turned her attention back to the TV, again blanking the actual content.

Then she heard a quack. And another. And another. And more.

Jade almost leapt out off the couch to grab the remote, muting the TV so she could best determine where they might have been coming from. Immediately, she could tell from where the sound came from…

Just outside her front door.

She grunted in annoyance and proceeded towards the door, a part of her wanting to smash whatever it was that Beck was using to create the sounds of those ducks, or God forbid that he actually had a flock of ducks with him. It wouldn't be the strangest thing that she had ever known him to do, but certainly the cruelest. Practically throwing open the door, she didn't even try to hide the irritation and anger on face, even at the cute sight of Beck sitting on her stoop, playing with his laptop.

Once she had opened the door, Beck simply lifted his head up, brandishing a wide smile on his face. "Hey Jade! Did you know that there's like twenty of these videos? Hour long videos of different duck noises. Geese, swans, ducks, baby ducks! There's even a loop of a text to speech program that just goes quack over and over again!" He looked back down to his laptop, turning off the duck sounds as he chuckled to himself, "Gotta love the internet."

Jade wasn't amused. "You know I hate ducks!"

Beck put his laptop into the small backpack that he brought with him. He expected Jade to be annoyed by that, but it was a sure thing that it would get her to open the door. As he got up, he pulled Jade into a weak hug, "Sorry…." He pulled back from Jade, "So… Are you going to let me in?"

She stared at him for a moment, hoping that he would interpret that as a rejection and would just walk away. But at the same time, she was glad he was here, and after a moment, she nodded, "Fine. I guess. Whatever." Immediately then, she turned around and proceeded back into her house, Beck following right behind.

"Damn Jade. Did someone turn you into a vampire as a Christmas gift?" Beck asked half-sarcastically. Even though it was early in the day, Jade's house was almost completely dark, the only light other than what escaped through the closed blinds being the light from the TV. For a moment, he was so marveled by the darkness in the home that he almost didn't notice Jade retreat back to the couch, almost disappearing entirely from his sight. Once he noticed her, he took a seat opposite her on the couch. "So…"

Jade wanted to just ignore him, to keep watching her movie. She wanted to come up with some excuse, like how he was interrupting the good part, but there was little chance that he would actually believe her, and no chance at all if he asked her exactly what was going on, or even just what the movie was or who starred in it. For as much as she wanted to reach for the remote and raise the volume as loud as she could to drown Beck's voice out, she didn't. Instead, she just turned her head and looked at Beck, "So?"

Beck frowned slightly, "You haven't gotten ready."

Jade shrugged her shoulders, "Why would I? I'm not going."

Beck squinted his eyes at his girlfriend. Even though neither of them had spoken about today, he figured that Jade would be there, be there for Tori. "What do you mean you're not going? Don't you think Tori would appreciate it if one of her best friends showed up to help support her?"

Jade looked at Beck for a moment, a part of her wanting to just start crying. She hadn't spoken with him about the Thursday just before Christmas break, how she revealed how Trina tried to ruin Tori's life, how she held Tori as the Latina broke down and cried and cried. She hadn't told Beck about how useless that moment made her feel. She bit her lip and shifted her focus from her boyfriend to the muted TV, "She doesn't want me there."

Beck wasn't sure of what to make of what Jade just said. Not only the fact that she said it with almost no conviction, like a child who got caught stealing but still tried to lie his way out of trouble, but if there was anyone who Tori would want at the courthouse with her, it would be Jade. "The hell makes you think that?"

"I just know it. She wouldn't want me there." Jade found herself choking on her own words, it feeling like there was a lump in her throat that made talking all the more difficult.

Beck caressed a hand against Jade's ankle, seeing how she was struggling internally. "Jade… If there was one person who I think Tori would want there with her today, it'd be the same person who drove out to pick her up that night, who drove her to the hospital, who called her parents to alert them, who waited with them… I think she'd want that person there today with her. The person who actually treats her like how a sister ought to…"

She wanted to cry. Not because she felt touched by what Beck was saying, but because in contrast to what he was saying, she felt guilty. Just like how she felt useless in Lane's office, she kept thinking back to that night earlier in the year. Since it, she had never dared ask Tori, or Beck even, the full details of what happened. And it was the uncertainty of that, the fact that her mind couldn't help but assume the worst case scenarios, there was a part of her that in spite of what she did do for Tori, it was too little, too late.

"Beck…" She called out, somehow managing to will away her eyes from the TV and towards him. "That night, will you tell me what happened?"

Beck was stunned at the question asked of him. When the incident happened back in May, there was a level of dismissal to Jade in terms of the details. After she had picked up him and Tori, she never further asked on the matter, at least not to him. All he had ever discussed with her on the matter was what he had spoken about on the phone. The other details, whatever else that happened that night, Jade wanted no part in knowing about it. She never asked about it, and whenever he tried to bring it up, she shut him down. The fact that she was asking now, it surprised him.

"Jade, how many times have we've tried to have this conversation, and how many times have you said you don't want to know? And now, now you're interested?" He realized that he might have come off as aggressive or dismissive, but it was no different than how she had spoken to him on the very same subject. Therefore, no harm, no foul. "Or is this just another attempt to get me to start talking about it before you-"

"Beck!" She interrupted him. At this point, for as hard as she fought, she couldn't restrain the tears anymore, her feeling two of them trailing down her face. "I know in the past I haven't wanted to know. But I'm asking you now, because I do want to know. So please…"

Her outburst took Beck for a bit of a shock. She seemed angry, which wasn't particularly strange for Jade, but she also sounded desperate, which was. "What's brought this sudden change? Is it about what happened at school, the whole thing with Jesse Endelson?"

He looked at her for a moment, leaning towards her on the couch with his arms extended, gently swiping his thumb against her cheeks as he wiped the tears away. He couldn't help but smile at her, at moments like this when Jade stripped away her defenses and showed her true self. "I'll make you a deal," He remarked as he leaned back to his side of the couch, giving his girlfriend her space. "I'll tell you, but then you'll get ready and we'll go join Tori. Agreed?"

Jade weakly nodded, her mind feeling considerably more at least, though she couldn't help but fear that she was going to hear the worst yet. In that same respect, it wasn't in Beck's character to have her make a blind agreement like that if he knew that the end result would devastate her. So there was a bit of optimism to be had.

Beck leaned against the arm of the couch, "So, that night…" Not exactly the greatest conversation starter, but he hardly knew a better way to go about it.

She swallowed, composing herself, mentally preparing herself. "When you called me… What happened to Tori before that point?"

"What do you mean?"

"Before you found her, after the bitch had… Did anyone…?" She couldn't even complete her thought, panic setting in with each word she spoke.

"Hey… Just take a moment, relax. Breathe, OK?"

Jade took a deep breath at Beck's insistence, finding that it helped a little bit, though not exactly as much as she might have wished it would. She tried again in asking her question, "That night, what happened to Tori after Trina gave her that drink? After she left?"

Beck gave a half-hearted smile at his realization of why Jade never wanted to further discuss that night. She must have assumed that there was something more than what happened. She was afraid that information like that would hurt her, maybe stain how Tori thought of her, of how their friendship would stand.

To that effect as well, he felt terrible that she had worried about that and kept that fear locked away from him. "I'm sure you remember seeing Tori at parties before that point. She's not a huge partier, and that night was no exception. She and I, we just kinda hung back, talked about Hollywood Arts and shit, basic shit like that. Which was fine with me, I mean I didn't really know why I was there either. Wasn't my kind of people there. But you know, so like she and I are talking, and she starts looking out of it and it just got worse and worse from there."

Jade just looked on, watching as Beck casually described the events of the night, his memory of it seeming to be as strong as hers was. "So, she was with you the whole time?"

Beck nodded, "I didn't trust anyone at that party. I sure as hell wasn't going to leave her alone with anyone of them. And like, once she threw up, after only one drink? That was when I called you."

His girlfriend felt utterly paralyzed in disbelief. For so long, a part of her had believed that Beck had noticed her too late, that Tori was keeping a dark secret hidden from all of them, and that for as much as Jade wanted to protect Tori, she had let her down in some way. Now, over six months later, she learned the truth, that she had been blaming herself for something that had only occurred in her nightmares. "So… nobody?"

Beck shook his head, "Nope. Nobody touched her. Believe me, I wouldn't have allowed that to happen."

Jade smiled. So many emotions were running through her mind that she struggled to comprehend it or even how to best express them. She was just happy, relieved, thankful to Beck, sorry for herself, upset at Trina, these being just among some of them that she was feeling. She wanted to hug Beck, to thank him, to apologize to him, she wasn't even sure. Giving up on trying to come up with a proper response, she just remained there on the couch.

At least until Beck got up from the couch, gently patting on her shoulders to bring her back to reality, "A deal's a deal. So, how about you start getting ready?"

She leaned her head back against the cushion of the couch. She didn't want to go. But like how Beck had put it, it wouldn't just about her. It was for Tori too.

* * *

 **...**

 **Courtroom C, Hollywood Courthouse**

 **...**

To Tori, it felt very weird being here. Dirty even.

She had never been inside a courtroom before. She had of course seen them on TV, but they always typically focused on the two teams of attorneys. They didn't really put much emphasis on the people who were sitting in the same gallery seats like she was now, the only exception being a quick pan to a person's face, but that didn't do justice to the actual awkwardness associated with it.

Her parents say several rows ahead of her, in the closest seats that were the closest possible to the table which presumably the defense team would be seated at. If there was one thing to be said about them, to be there - even in spite of what Trina had done to Tori, how her sister's relationship with her parents had essentially deteriorated into nothing - that they showed up to support her was a testament to their closeness as a family.

But even for that, she couldn't sit with them. She wanted to, to a degree at least. But the tension in being there, it was already bad enough being in a courtroom. She felt more comfortable further in the back, seated in the company of her friends. She had spent the greater extent of yesterday hanging out with Andre and the two of them had arrived at the courthouse together. Cat showed up not too long following that, and Robbie almost immediately behind him. Beck and Jade had yet to arrive, which demoralized Tori a bit. She was happy that her friends had shown up to support her, but in the back of her mind, she really wished that Jade would have been there.

"Relax. I'm sure that they're just running late," Andre said, noticing the concerned look on Tori's face. It was more than likely a reality, given that the courthouse had just been constructed following years of being worked on. Even many of the people who worked there, bailiffs, court reporters, and others had difficulties getting around the building. For someone like Beck or Jade who never had a reason to go to a courthouse before, let alone find a particular courtroom, it was hardly a surprise that they might have been lost.

"One time, when I was in middle school, I was walking to the bus stop and I thought I was going to be late to reaching it, so I decided to cut through my neighbor's yard to get there faster," Cat began, stopping abruptly before finishing her story. She simply looked at her friends for a moment while they looked at her with blank expressions.

"And?" Andre asked.

"Well I got to the bus stop and I remembered that it was Saturday! So I went home." Given that it was a story from Cat, it should have made sense that it would didn't make sense or contribute to the conversation, but Tori couldn't help marvel sometimes at Cat's innocence. _I'm going to miss her once we leave for school. Heh, I pray for whoever her roommate is._

People continued to fill in the courtroom, many of whom Tori had never seen before. For that reason, she had to assume that many of them were there for someone else who might have had an appearance after Trina's hearing. _What if they're here just to watch the cases? Do people actually do that? Oh god, that's freaky. Like, what if you're the judge and there's just a random guy who's watching you work for hours at end…_

Her mind had been so consumed on trying to figure out which of the people were there to potentially stalk the judge that she failed to notice two other people enter the courtroom and take a seat beside Tori. It wasn't until she felt a tap on her shoulder that she noticed Jade next to her, Beck on the other side of Jade's. "Jade! Beck!" She couldn't help showing her excitement.

Jade smirked slightly, preferring to keep to herself how pleased she was at Tori's excited response. _Beck was right. She does seem happy. Happier I mean._ "Vega," she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself, though she nodded a hello to Andre who leaned his head forward from the other side of Tori. He seemed to look pleased that they were here too.

After several more minutes, there arrived a man dressed in a sharp, black suit, proceeding down the aisle towards one of the large tables, specifically the one that rivaled the defense table. The prosecutor. After another minute or so of watching the man organize several files which he had pulled out from his briefcase, Tori's attention was turned towards a door opening near the other end of the room, emerging a guard and a young woman.

More specifically, her sister, Trina, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, the words DOC written along the back in black.

She watched as Trina took a seat at her table with a portly bald man who had been seated there earlier, who appeared friendly as he spoke with Tori's parents. Tori simply sat there, her eyes never blinking, her focus never at for any moment deviating away from Trina, for whatever reason seeming bound to watch her.

Perhaps it was just shock more than anything else. Trina looked nothing much like how Tori remembered her before. Her face seemed gaunt, her hair seemed frilled, hardly the fine locks which she was used to seeing. Though she couldn't tell entirely, Tori could have sworn that she noticed several cuts and scrapes along Trina's arms, like she had been scratching herself, as well as what looked like a small bruise along her cheek, indicating that she had been punched, and recently too.

She kept looking at Trina, noticing equally that her sister never seemed to acknowledge Tori's presence, even in spite of the clear view that both of them had to each other. Tori just breathed and watched, the only time that her perspective changed at all being when a large, round man dressed in black robes emerged and the security guard who was standing at attention barked out to the courtroom, "All rise! The honorable Judge Henry Steward presiding."

They all rose like a stadium crowd doing the wave, and they as quickly took their seat again as Judge Steward took his seat on the bench and started speaking, "Be seated. Now then, let the record reflect that we are here at 2:30 PM on today's date, December 29th, 2011, with regards to Case docket 828345, on the matter of the People of the State of California v Trina Vega. Can I ask the attorneys please to note your appearance for the record, beginning with counsel for the prosecution?"

Tori watched as the sharp dressed man got up from his seat, addressing the judge. "For the prosecution, Jared Higgins. Good morning, Your Honor."

"Good morning," the judge casually responded, like two neighbors who conversed daily from across the picket fence. "And for the defense?"

The portly man stood this time, his voice sounding surprisingly high-pitched. Given the contrast between his size and voice, he seemed like a cartoon character more than a person. "Your Honor, Blake Caroll for the defendant."

"Welcome, Blake Caroll." There was a more formal aspect to how the judge addressed Trina's attorney, like they weren't familiar with each other at all. "Now, I have read the motions filed on behalf of both sides with regards to this matter, and I am told that both sides have come to a mutual decision with regards to how to proceed forward with this case? Mr. Higgins, is that true?"

"Yes it is, Your Honor. On the 25th of December, the prosecution offered the defendant a proposal opting in favor of a plea bargain rather than proceeding further with jury selection. Our proposal, as noted in People's 17, was made available to opposing counsel and to Your Honor."

The judge seemed to shift through papers from behind his desk, "Yes. I have read the document. Has the defendant's council reviewed the proposal?"

Trina's lawyer rose again, "Yes, Your Honor. The defense has reviewed the prosecution's proposal."

"And what says the defense?"

"The defense finds the terms of the prosecution's deal to be applicable and fair. Upon consultation of council, the defendant has chosen to accept the terms of the proposed deal laid out as such." The lawyer took his seat next to Trina.

"Very well. Do the people have any objections to the accepted position made by the defendant, Mr. Higgins?"

The District Attorney rose from his seat, "No Your Honor. The people are satisfied with the conditions agreed to by the defendant. However though, we request that, due to the sensitive nature of the defendant's testimony as it relates to currently active investigations undergoing by the District Attorney's office, as mentioned within the proposal and earlier documents submitted to the Court, the people request that the allocution be confined to Your Honor and opposing council within the privacy of an In-Chambers session."

Tori was a bit surprised by what she heard. _Ongoing investigation? What ongoing investigation?_ Immediately, her mind began to assume the worst. Given how quickly Josh Endelson had been apparently charged following his arrest, how quickly Trina had been arrested, and now this, she couldn't help but worry about what Trina had gotten herself into. _God Trina… What did you do?_

The judge nodded in approval as Mr. Higgins spoke, "Yes, I have read the documents and briefs submitted by the people with regards to this request. Does the defense have any objections to the prosecution's request?"

"No objections, Your Honor."

"Then does the prosecution wish to continue with sentencing or wait until after allocution?"

"Your Honor, the people are ready to proceed with sentencing."

"Does the defense have objections?"

"No, Your Honor."

Tori couldn't help but be impressed by how streamline everything was seeming to go. Like clockwork, the judge communicated with one attorney, then bounced it off another, and the pattern continued on and on. _This doesn't seem anything like how they bicker and fight on TV._

"Very well. Will the defendant please rise." Tori's eyes perked up as the judge requested Trina to stand up. For a moment earlier, it didn't even seem like it was concerning Trina at all, instead just being a bunch of lawyer things. Things that people like Tori, who knew little to nothing of the criminal justice system, would just ignore and dismiss. "Trina Vega, you are pleading guilty to the criminal charge of Selling of a Controlled Substance. Are you pleading guilty because you are in fact guilty of this crime?"

"Yes, Your Honor." Trina's voice was hoarse, dry. It almost sounded like a singer who was losing their voice following a challenging rehearsal, that inability to speak.

"And you have been informed by your council that by accepting this plea you are forfeiting your right to a trial by a jury of your peers?"

"Yes, Your Honor." In spite of Trina's voice sounding a bit foreign to her, it wasn't hard to hear the disdain in her voice, how obviously Trina would have preferred being somewhere else other than here.

"And you have been made aware of the terms of said deal and understand that the duration of the sentence imposed is based on the conditions of the plea bargain agreed upon today, and therefore be may superimposed due to other infractions that may hypothetically occur during your incarceration?"

"Yes, Your Honor. I have been."

Just like with the lawyers, the back and forth between Trina and the judge, it was like this wasn't anything new to them. Like it seemed routine. Surely Trina had been instructed by her attorney to just nod and agree to what the judge was asking her. But nonetheless, it was surprising to watch, even more surprising that it was her sister.

"Very well then. Upon the reviewing of the proposed deal written by the prosecution and upon the decisions of both, the defense and the people, in terms of not contesting the aspects and details regarding said deal, I find it appropriate and fitting. Trina Vega, as per the agreed upon deal between you and the District Attorney's Office, I sentence you to an incarceration term of no greater than eighteen months, and no less than twelve months, to be served at a prison to be chosen by the Department of Corrections. Now, are there any other matters to attend to?"

Both lawyers shook their heads, both of them insisting that their business was done.

The judge nodded in agreement. "In that case, we will set a date for the defendant's allocution. Both parties will be contacted in the coming day to set a date for that meeting. Until then, the defendant is remanded to the Department of Corrections. Next case!" The judge declared, banging his gavel against the bench, signifying the end of the hearing.

Tori watched as the security officers took Trina away, her making a final turn towards her parents as she was being taken away. It was at that point that Tori noticed Trina's gaze turn towards her, the look being a complete contrast to that of which she had shown their parents. To them, it looked like Trina was almost upset, but when she turned towards Tori, it was of contempt, of spite and anger. Tori felt utterly paralyzed seeing the contempt her sister was showing towards her, like she was in her own horror movie and the killer was about to get her.

"Tori? Hey, Tori?" Andre's voice pulled her out of her doomsday scenario, and as she turned her head, she noticed everyone looking at her, waiting on her next word. As she turned her attention back towards Trina, she realized that her sister was gone now. She also saw that several people in the courtroom were leaving, a few were entering, and now it was beginning to look like a new pair of lawyers were proceeding towards the tables. Again, Andre spoke, "Tori? You good?"

She smiled, but it was a weak smile. Not exactly one to reassure them. "I don't know. I don't feel that great right now, but I think I'll be fine."

 _I think I'll be fine. I hope._

* * *

 **A/N: Based on actual transcripts I've read, court proceedings are much longer and drag on more than this one. But in this case I think shorter is the better route to take.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	13. Somewhere in the Fallout

**Chapter 13. Somewhere in the Fallout**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Vega Residence - January 10th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

To Tori, the first few days following Trina's sentencing were, challenging to say the least, at least within the Vega household. Following the actual sentencing, Tori had quickly departed from the courthouse with her friends, not wanting to see her parents, not speak with them, to have not have anything to do with them. Hell, she wasn't even sure entirely if they had known that she was there. Perhaps they were more hoping that she hadn't arrived, which was what she couldn't help suspect.

No, not suspect it. She _knew_ it.

After all, why would they have waited until the day before the actual sentencing to tell her that not only had she been arrested, but that they had also worked out an apparent guilty plea – which Tori didn't know the details of, nor would her parents give her any indication of what was covered under it – and that a date for the apparent sentencing had been worked out too! All things considered, the only thing that the Latina could rationalize was that she was unwanted there.

Unwanted…

Unwanted by her parents and despised by her sister. Tori struggled to process in her head how any of it made sense, or why it seemed to be happening all at once. And why it was happening to her. Why? That was the million dollar question, and Tori felt like she had used all of her life lines and there were still a thousand potential answers to the question.

Whatever the reason it was that they had chosen to wait so long to tell her about everything, whether it was to protect her or because she was in fact unwanted, she didn't have much of a desire to speak with either of them. When they had left the courthouse, it wasn't until late that night that Tori even arrived back at her house, though she heavily considered just not going home and instead spending the night at either Andre's or Cat's or even Jade's house. When she did get home though, she was a bit surprised to see that her parents were home, or anything even to indicate that they had arrived at home at all by that point.

Tori actually preferred that. She preferred not having to talk to them, having to listen to them come up with some sort of reason as to why they were keeping things from her. Chances are that that reason would just be a lie, and she was hurt enough. Her parents lying to her face was the last thing she was interested in withstanding that day. Or any of the days that followed, for a while at least.

That was perhaps the prime reason why she sought out seclusion within her room. Within there, even if it was in her parent's house, she felt safe. There was a level of privacy, a degree of respect and trust that had been built up over the past year that entitled her to it. Maybe it was partially out of guilt that her parents felt after what Trina had tried to do with her, topped with the phenomenal grades that she had been getting, full letter grades better than what she had ever been getting at Hollywood Arts before. Whatever the actual reason might have been, for the time being she was intent on taking full advantage of it.

It was pretty much routine. She would go to school, perhaps stay later to work on homework, study for a performance, or just staying for no other reason than to not go home. Afterwards, whenever that would be, she would go home, ignoring whoever might have been at the house, though it was becoming rarer to see both of them together by the time she arrived. There might have been a note on the counter, letting her know that dinner had been prepared, or if not then there was money for her to order out. Perhaps her mother might have been there, planted on the couch, staring aimlessly at something on the TV with a glass of wine and the home phone beside her. Waiting. Waiting for that rare chance that maybe an incoming call might have been from Trina.

Tori didn't pretend to understand the sudden obsessiveness her mother had with hearing from Trina. Perhaps it was in a sense a way of easing her heart, her own way of coping. A part of Tori sympathized with her mother, the other part didn't understand why she bothered blaming herself. She shook her head as she tried to forget about trying to rationalize what her mother was doing; it was as hard sometimes as trying to figure Trina out. Instead, she focused back on the homework that Sikowitz had assigned for the class, reading the book handed out for a bit before feeling the vibration within her pocket.

 **Yo Tori. You there? – Andre**

Tori smiled when she saw the text. Andre had told her that he was having his audition today, but he wasn't entirely sure of what time he'd actually have it. She made him promise her that after he had it that he would contact her to let her know how it went. Tori was a bit surprised that he was getting back to her so late. It was almost 6 PM already.

 **Hey! Howd the audition go? – Tori**

Each minute that passed while she waited for him to respond only further added to the anticipation, the excitement of it all. But as time went on, that excitement dissolved into panic. Panic of things going poorly.

 **Andre? How was it? – Tori**

A few more minutes passed, but now Tori was convinced that Andre hadn't done well. The thought of it terrified her. Not just because it might have killed his shot at going there, but for a slightly selfish reason of his audition might reflect poorly onto hers as well, for whatever reason. Once she felt her phone vibrate in her hands, she was almost afraid to look and see what it said. Finally, she mustered her courage and took a peak.

 **Killed it. – Andre**

Tori sighed in relief, but she also wanted to extend her arm through her phone, have it travel out through his phone, and slap him in the face for not just making her wait, but also for the mini-panic attack he gave her.

 **How rude! Leaving me hanging – Tori**

 **Oh come on now. You got a kick out of it. – Andre**

Tori rolled her eyes at how easily Andre seemed to find humor in Tori's reaction, and at herself for how she still found that fact surprising, in spite of knowing him for nearly three years now.

 **More like a mini heart attack! – Tori**

 **:O That aint good cause I need to know the homework for Sikowitz – Andre**

Tori chuckled aloud. So _that_ was the real reason why he was messaging her. Typical Andre…

 **He wants us to read pgs 20-40 in the book he assigned yesterday. We have to have lines remembered by friday – Tori**

A part of her wanted to say something along the lines of Sikowitz "strongly recommending" something ridiculous in hopes of making Andre panicked. But right now, Tori wasn't feeling particularly creative, and given Andre, it was likely he'd ask a ton of questions on the matter which she wouldn't want to try to come up with explanations for.

 **Sounds easy enough. How r things? – Andre**

Tori smiled at his latest text. For as much as Andre might annoy her at times or just manage to completely outshine her when it comes to things like musical talent, he did have a good heart. And while she didn't confide to him some of the more personal details as to what happened with Trina that both Beck and Jade knew, he was still supportive or her. And even though his grandmother didn't exactly make his home the most enjoyable or welcoming place, she was touched by the selflessness he showed in offering her a room in the event that her family situation became too much.

 **IDK. Fine I guess. You gonna be at school tomorrow? – Tori**

Tori hoped that he would understand what she was implying, and in the event he did, she hoped that he would be at school. Things just felt really dull with him not being there. Or Jade either for that fact, but her absence was a mystery to Tori.

 **Yep. You wanna talk then? – Andre**

 **Yeah – Tori**

 **You got it. Later Tor – Andre**

 **Bye Andre – Tori**

Tori put her phone away, satisfied knowing that Andre would be back tomorrow rather than use his audition as an excuse to skip another day of school. Even though that would probably have been exactly what Tori would have done herself if she were in his shoes. At the same time, it might have just been that she wanted to take a break herself from class. The last few days had left her utterly exhausted and despite seemingly all of her teachers assigning very light work given all of the students coming off of break, Tori felt like she had barely been on a break. At least not an enjoyable one.

Skimming through the pages she had already read a few times now, Tori contemplated between going out to get something for dinner and preparing something for herself. She leaned towards the former, given that it would mean less of a chance of having to interact with her mother, who no doubt was propped out on the couch, probably with an empty bottle of wine beside her. At least she suspected it was an empty bottle by now. From what she saw of it when she had gotten home, it was at least half empty, and judging by the receipt she saw on the counter, was bought just today. After a few minutes, she made up her mind, grabbing a light jacket and her car keys as she headed out to grab a bite to eat. _I wonder if Cat would be down to get some sushi?_

* * *

 **...**

 **Spring Street Bar, Downtown Los Angeles**

 **...**

On the other side of town, David Vega sat alone at the bar, his mind absent while his fingers gently rung around the rim of the scotch glass before him. It was maybe his second drink, but for as long as he had been there it could have assumed that it was his fourth or fifth. In reality, he hated the taste of scotch, but it wasn't like he was drinking to enjoy himself anyways.

"Heard a rumor that you were here," A familiar voice caused David to turn his attention, to which he nodded at the sight of prosecutor Ted Cabot. "Couldn't believe it myself. I mean, David Vega slumming it at a cop bar? A bit cliché wouldn't you say?" He jokingly remarked as he took a seat beside him.

The bartender, noticing his arrival, lifted his head in his general direction, acknowledging the man's presence. It didn't take anything more than a simple hand gesture for him to recognize that the latest patron wanted the same thing as his companion. The bartender had no objections. Made more on scotch than pretty much anything else he had to offer.

As Ted patiently waited for the bartender to pour his drink, he looked at David, clearly seeing just how fatigued and exhausted he seemed. Now, Ted was no stranger to seeing officers who were drained, be it from working a particularly tough case or following an officer involved shooting, but what he saw of his friend was different. It wasn't so much that of a job-related ailment, but rather something else. "So, I gotta say, I never figured you for a scotch drinker. Always assumed you a tequila guy." He hoped that David would be slightly engaged in small talk as they were friends, but it wasn't looking like it. "What's wrong Dave?"

David Vega sighed as he took a small sip from his glass. "Eh, about what you can expect for someone in my place. I got one daughter who's expected to go to prison for at least a year, and my other daughter hates me." He laughed, though it was more a sarcastic one than a genuine laugh, "So, I guess you could say just dealing with typical daughter bullshit."

Ted frowned. He knew the situation with David's older daughter and while he had done what he could to keep it hidden from their colleagues, he hadn't realized just how much it seemed that this affected him. While they spoken occasionally about Trina, how David and her relationship was strained, there was always a hint of contempt towards her in how he spoke. So seeing him now, almost grieving, it was different. The fact that his other daughter seemed to be upset with him too was a surprise.

"Your other daughter hates you? I take it then that that's a new revelation?" He asked as he took a sip from his scotch. _I really wish that this place would invest more in improving their liquor cabinet._

David nodded. To a degree, even he couldn't believe how things between him and Tori had seemed to deteriorate, and how quickly it happened too. When Ted told him that his colleague had not only issued an arrest warrant for Trina but were going to take her into custody the next day, a part of him wanted to tell Tori. As a father, the idea of withholding information like that from a daughter, particularly a daughter who obviously still cared about her sister, seemed like a taboo.

But given how much Tori still seemed to care about Trina, it made the situation all the more impossible. On one hand, he could have told Tori that the D.A.'s Office knew where Trina was – something that none of the Vega household knew – and that she was going to be charged immediately. If he did that, she would have lashed out at him like how she did when they first talked about the situation with the pills. Or he could have kept quiet about everything like he ultimately did, and she would be irate because he tried to keep it hidden from her. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation, and at least for the time being, there didn't seem to be any clear cut indicator of things improving between them.

"The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt Tori. I mean, Holly and I, we didn't want to baby her. You know, in the last year, my God, just how mature she's become, how she's taken on the world and with such confidence. You tell me how a father is supposed to justify shattering that?" That was what hurt and scared him the most; that everything recently with Trina just threatened to undo all the good that Tori was accomplishing.

"I don't think there's a father in the world that would dare to." Ted wasn't a father himself, but even then, just in speaking with victims and their families, he had a strong sense of what they were willing to do for one another, of how close they were. "That said, I think you're being too hard on yourself. You were caught in honestly what was a fucked up situation. Like you said, either way you would walk out a loser. So while I understand the wanting to blame yourself, you think it's fair?"

David took a slight sip of his drink, "Fair? Fair to who?"

Ted also took a sip from his drink, his face not contorting slightly like how David's did a moment earlier. "To everyone. Holly, Tori, yourself. Like I said, in the end you were caught in an impossible position." He stopped for a moment and thought to himself before returning to the conversation at hand, "What you did might have devastated your daughter, but what do you think you being here is doing to her?"

As he was about to take a final sip from his drink, David stopped, opting instead to stare at the glass for a moment before putting it down, the last sip still there. Ted had a point, a damn good one at that. Tori was still probably furious at him, and she had enough of a reason to be, but instead of trying to mend their relationship, all he was doing was trying to avoid home, and by effect, avoid her. Whether he meant to or not, he was giving up on Tori just like how he had given up on Trina.

"For someone who is acting as broken as you are right now, you don't smell like it," Ted coolly remarked before taking another sip from his drink, placing his glass onto the counter, which was promptly refilled by the bartender. "Running is easy. Fighting is harder."

"You want another one?" The bartender chimed in, pointing towards the nearly empty glass in front of David. He and Ted looked at David for a moment, the latter realizing the potential impact of what his answer might have been while the former was just wondering if he wanted another drink. "Well?"

David shook his head, going a step further as he reached into his wallet and pulled out several bills and placed them on the bar counter. As it looked like he was about to leave, he looked at Ted who had been seated at the bar still. He was smiling.

Smiling at a man who hopefully was going to take the first step along their road to recovery.

More specifically, the recovery of David Vega's relationship with his daughter, hoping not to repeat history a second time and lose Tori too.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	14. The Classics

**Chapter 14. The Classics**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Sikowitz's Classroom - January 11th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

"So your audition went well then?" Tori asked, this being perhaps the fourth or fifth time that she had asked Andre about his audition since their lunch period ended alone. While he had said to her via text last night that he had done well, even going as far as to say he "killed it", Tori wanted to know all of the details. And even now, when it seemed like he had disclosed every single last possible detail, Tori was as much insisting and hopeful that there might have been something else he forgot to mention.

"I'm telling ya, that was it," Andre insisted. He really get why Tori was so reluctant into believing him. Their conversation had even managed to go on long enough for him to go about describing irrelevant and otherwise unimportant facts like how the traffic was on the way to and from UCLA, how many football obsessed students he saw as he walked the campus, and general things of that nature. Andre worried that if Tori continued with her questioning, that he'll eventually be left with nothing else but to make up stories about things he imagined he saw.

"You sure that was it? I mean, nothing else?" Tori insisted, certain that there might have been something else. She hoped there would be something else. If there was, that meant he wouldn't be able to turn the conversation around onto her. "You absolutely sure?"

"Jesus Vega, what more do you want to hear?" Jade blurted out. For as close and protective of the Latina as Jade was, there was only so much of the persistent questioning that she – or anyone else in the classroom – could take. "I mean, do you want him to describe every single little shrub that he saw on the campus too?"

Tori was left speechless, though not offended. It was inevitable that the angry Jade would show her face again, but that was to be expected with Jade, even in spite of things. On some days, she might be cruel and willing and ready to rip someone's head off, and on other days she was like a guardian angel, a protector even. It just so happened that she was the latter today, and that Tori's questions were only further antagonizing her.

Andre also looked to be a bit surprised himself, more at the suddenness of Jade's remark, not so much at the tone. He looked to Beck, to see if he would try to reign in Jade's anger, but the blank expression on his face only seemed to indicate to Andre that he was on his own. "No need to get violent there Jade."

Tori sunk into her chair slightly, "It was just a question…"

Out of nowhere, the puppet Rex chimed in, "There's a difference between a question and repeating it twenty times!"

"Ouch!" Robbie yelped as he felt Jade's hand smack against the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"Because if I were to slap your puppet, I wouldn't know how much it hurt. Your head is softer," Jade responded coolly, a fiendish smile appearing on her face, causing Robbie and Andre to slightly shift away in terror while Tori chuckled slightly at the response.

After several minutes of banter, finally it seemed that Sikowitz had arrived within the classroom, shocking the entire class as he descended from the tiles of the roof, landing on the stage. The sound of the impact had several students rushing up to the stage to see if the teacher was alright, but as they helped him to his feet, Sikowitz simply brushed off dust as though it were nothing. "Hello class! I take it everyone has enjoyed the conclusion of their Holiday Break?"

The students couldn't help but look slightly surprised at Sikowitz, at the fact that he was ready to completely and utterly ignore the fact that he had been apparently hiding in the roof or something. How long had he been there? That was a question that probably nobody would know.

On the other hand, Cat had a different question. "But, today's Wednesday? So wouldn't the week be halfway over?"

"Yeah, you sorta skipped yesterday and Monday, didn't you?" Andre added.

Sikowitz simply smirked at Andre's remark, "Well, you tell me Andre. After all, I wasn't the one who was out somewhere else, so for all you know, there was no class yesterday and we this is the first time that we've seen each other since I dismissed that week in December. How about that conclusion? Wasn't expecting it were you?" The harshness at how he seemed to response to Andre had the class, especially him and Tori, surprised. Clearly Sikowitz was fired up about something, and even in spite of the fact that Andre had told him beforehand that he would not be in class yesterday.

"But... I was here on Monday..."

Sikowitz looked at Andre for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Touche. So! That aside, I take it everyone is getting excited, aren't they?"

"Excited for what?" Tori asked, unsure of what Sikowitz was getting at, though clearly being something that he was rather cheery about, even more than usual.

"The new Adam Sandler movie!?" Robbie asked out of nowhere, it sounding as much like a legitimate question as much as it was him reminding people that he was there.

"Nope!" Sikowitz defiantly proclaimed.

Jade chuckled aloud at Robbbie's question, both at how dumb it seemed and that he actually asked it out loud. "Who would care about that?"

"See, I told you nobody would care about that. Adam Sandler is a washed up actor who isn't funny. And neither are his movies!" Rex remarked, it being perhaps one of the few times that his remark actually got several mumbled words of encouragement and agreement from the other students, Sikowitz included.

"Now then, that we're done with that. Back to my point earlier... What was my point again?" Sikowitz asked earnestly, the randomness of Robbie's comment throwing off the teacher's entire train of thought.

"You said something about us getting excited for something," Tori said as she timidly raised her hand, still confused and at the same time now feeling ashamed that she liked a lot of Adam Sandler's movies.

"Did I?"

"Yes..." Jade said, her tone indicating how she was becoming increasingly annoyed.

" Ah yes! Why, you all know what I'm talking about! The Senior Showcase of course! It's just around the corner!"

His remarks were met only with several looks of confusion, some students having no clue of what Sikowitz was talking about.

Beck was among those who seemed to be confused. "That's in April? It's the beginning of January."

On the other hand, Tori was completely stumped, unsure of what either of them were talking about. "What's the Senior Show?"

"Tori, are you not familiar with the Senior Showcase?" Sikowitz practically yelled out, unable to believe what he was hearing from one of his best students.

The booming of Sikowitz's comment had Tori leaning within her seat as far as she could. So much so that if she were to try to create any further distance between her and Sikowitz that she may have very well tipped the chair over. "Well yeah... I... no... no not really."

Sikowitz sighed, "Jade, would you care to explain?"

Jade shrugged her shoulders and began explaining to Tori. Though she didn't say anything, even she was a little bit surprised that Tori wasn't aware of what the Senior Showcase was. "Basically the seniors put on a performance for the rest of the Senior class, the faculty, the parents, important people in the neighborhood, all that stuff."

Tori's face lit up with excitement and glee at hearing Jade's description of the event. "Oh! That sounds like The Big Showcase. But this one is just for the seniors then?" She wished that she had actually known something about it, but given what Beck said, that how it happens in April, it made sense that she didn't know. If Trina tried out and didn't get in, no way that she'd ever admit it or give any indication of it at all to Tori.

"Provided you are selected for the Senior Showcase, yes." Sikowitz casually said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a coconut.

Robbie now looked confused as he glanced between Sikowitz and Rex. "Rex told me that all seniors are allowed to join it."

"No I didn't," the puppet quickly countered.

"Yes you did!" Robbie insisted.

Sikowitz waved his hand, hoping that the puppet and child would both stop their fighting. Truly, they were like a couple, arguing about the pettiest things. "Well, everyone is allowed to request participation. Because of how large the senior class is and how limited we are in terms of size and time, not everyone can be a part of it."

Andre moped in his seat as he listened to Sikowitz explain more of the Senior Showcase. "So like is it an audition just to be a part of it? God, it's like yesterday all over again!"

Beck shrugged, not seeming to be too concerned, "I don't think it'd be all that bad."

In the meanwhile, Jade smirked at Andre, "Yeah, you nervous Andre? I thought your audition went oh so well!"

The bickering between the few of them, as well as several other students having quiet conversations on the topic in the back of the class caused Sikowitz to just look utterly shocked and in disbelief. "Sheesh. Don't you students pay attention to what's going on at this school?"

The entire class was left silent at their teacher's remark. For many this was something new. For others, they had heard rumors but this was the first time that it was being confirmed to actually exist. Cat rose her hand, afraid of how Sikowitz might react next, "This is the first any of us have heard of it."

Sikowitz facepalmed as he shook his head in defeat, "Unbelievable… Your teachers are supposed to tell you all about it come February."

"But… It's the beginning of January though." Tori commented, similarly afraid like Cat about how Sikowitz might have responded to her.

Unlike his earlier outbursts, it seemed that again, he had completely reversed his behavior and seemed as calm and collected as he was at the beginning of class. "Ah, yes. So it is. No matter! It's better that you know now than find out later. Now then, what shall we be talking about today?"

"Something having to do with acting or performing?" Robbie asked, not seeing the rolling of Jade's eyes at again, him answering a question with another dumb question of his own.

Even Sikowitz couldn't help but give the ventriloquist a hard time too, "Astute observation Robbie. But what exactly will we be going over? Cat, do you have any idea?"

"I don't know."

"Well, give it a guess."

Cat appeared flustered by Sikowitz's insistence of a possible answer. "Uh... Is this a test where you ask us what we do and then you'll tell us what we do and then it won't be what we do because really what we are doing is that we're just doing what you want us to do which is trying to find out what we are going to do?"

The class simply looked at Cat silently for a moment before Sikowitz began speaking again, pretending to have ignored anything of what Cat had just said. "Anyways, how many people regularly watch films? I see everyone does. Even you Rex."

"You don't know what I got!" The puppet loudly remarked.

Like how many of them had been annoyed by the puppets remarks, so too was Sikowitz. "Robbie, remind your puppet to mind his manners!"

Instead, the puppet just continued his verbal assault, "Oh you did not just call me a puppet!"

And unsurprisingly, Robbie took to the defense of his puppet,"Sikowitz, that's an offensive term to him." The typical defense that he had used time and time again in the past.

Sikowitz sighed, "Jade, will you deal with Rex please?"

Jade smirked with delight at hearing the teacher's request. Without needing to hear another word, she got up and proceeded towards Robbie and Rex. While Robbie was quiet, Rex was quick to speak in protest, " Hey! What are you doing? Ah!" It exclaimed as Jade threw the puppet across the room as it hit a wall, sliding down it towards the small garbage can that was left near the door.

Providing a weak clap for Jade which much of the class joined in on, Sikowitz bowed in appreciation to Jade. "Thank you Jade."

There was a rather large smile on her face as Jade graciously accepted the applause, taking her seat next to Beck again, "Anytime!"

On Robbie's face though, there was a look of disbelief. "You threw Rex in the garbage!"

"Probably for the best," Beck remarked with a smirk on his face.

If Robbie had said anything in response to that, it was ignored by Sikowitz, who tried again to discuss his plan for the class. "Now, back to the topic at hand, in films, there are things we tend to remember about them, things that we typically prefer to focus on when we watch them. Can anyone tell me what about a film we most focus towards?"

Cat immediately chimed in with the first thing which came to mind, which in this case was an actual viable answer rather than gibberish. "The cool effects!?"

Beck answered as well, but his involving a bit more thought and common sense to what draws people to see movies, "The actors."

Sikowitz nodded at Beck's response, "To an extent Beck. While an actor or actress can certainly sell a movie. Just look at anything that Leonardo DiCaprio or Will Smith have starred in. Whether or not the film were good exactly, you can't deny that their inclusion within the cast increased your interest. But, there's more than that. What else am I referring to?" He had a point. An actor was important and having a star could easily sell more tickets just on their appeal alone, but they weren't the be all end all, nor the only thing that Sikowitz was looking for.

Jade contributed to the conversation as well, though she spoke with confidence, knowing that it was what their teacher was looking for. "The writing."

"Very good. Writing is key as well. Even if you have an ensemble cast, having poor writing means that as a director or a studio producing the film, you wasted a bunch of money getting big names with no substance. Often, we find this as a trend occurring when a franchise is rebooted or in comedies without any real plot. But there's something else that we gravitate to when we think of great movies. Can anyone guess? Tori?"

Tori sat in her chair a bit confused. She wasn't exactly sure as to what else he could have wanted. The right actors and good writing seemed to be pretty much what people remembered about movies. "I'm not sure."

"Give it a guess."

The fact he was insisting gave her a feeling that there was no way that she was going to be able to get out of answering the question, and it meant that he was going to press her until she managed to come up with the correct one. Unsure of what he was hoping for, Tori took a shot in the dark, "A good scene or something?"

To her surprise, it turned out that it was exactly what Sikowitz was looking for! "Bingo! That's what we often think of. A memorable scene! The classics! When you watch The Godfather, the horse head in the bed is a scene that sticks out to you. In Indiana Jones, you might recall the scene where he shot the trained swordsman in the crowd. It's scenes like this that stick out to us, and while they might not be as substantive as other scenes, they are memorable. But, what we are going to do is focus on the ones that held impact, ones that conveyed the characters that embodied the theme of the film. And what I'm going to do is give you something special. Rather than just playing out a particular scene, you are going to become your actor portraying their character in their scene."

Andre blinked at what Sikowitz just said, unsure of what to make of it, "What?"

Beck also seemed to be confused on what he meant, "We're going to play our actor?"

"Playing their character?" Jade added, finishing Beck's thought.

"So we're going to be doubly acting?" Robbie asked as well.

Sikowitz shook his head. "Not quite. What I have done is I've selected a number of scenes that are particularly memorable, scenes that were most often selected based on a poll I created on TheSlap, and I found that most of them were perfect. Now, in all of these scenes, they will involve two characters, two actors. In some of them, they may be more focused on one particular character than another, but both of you will be expected to perform to your actor's greatest capability."

The idea was a unique one, but one that was as confusing as it was interesting. Obviously, he had put a great deal of stock into preparing this and that he was very excited about it, given how he was speaking and his cheery tone. But, something seemed to be off. He was expecting his students to play the roles of the actors playing their parts? Would their gender be taken into account with what roles they got? And perhaps more, was he honestly expecting them to be able to perform like proven actors, particularly in potentially memorable scenes?

Tori was a bit confused by the final part of what Sikowitz said. Their greatest capability, what exactly was that supposed to mean? "What do you mean?"

"You will be expected to perform each scene, to convey each element, all of the emotion that the actor or actress conveyed in their scene. By watching you perform these scenes, I hope… No… I expect that you will play them to such a degree that it won't matter if it's Jade West or Matt Damon, Tori Vega or Al Pacino, Andre Harris or Charlize Theron. Whatever scene you are given, I expect to only see your character. I want to feel everything that your character is supposed to feel."

Sikowitz got down from the stage and began to walk towards the back of the room, pacing between the two points as he went over the further details of what was to be expected. "If your character is broken, if they are at a point where they want to die, then when you perform, I should feel like you are as defeated as they are. If your character is a sociopath who might kill someone in a blink of an eye, I want the rest of the class to be worried for their safety when you perform. I don't want them to see you performing. In this assignment, either you are your character, or you are nothing."

The idea was interesting, and the degree to which he was expecting of his students was certainly a departure from what they had done in the past. While they had been given acting assignments before, never had he been so demanding in what he wanted out of them, and to many people in the classroom, it was exciting. For others, it was terrifying.

And for others such as Robbie, the idea of what character, of what scene a person might have gotten was even more intriguing, "So like, if you gave Jade a scene where a character would be expected to be loving and cheerful..."

"Well, needless to say, if she weren't able to, then I would not want to be her at the end of the year." It was a vague threat, but it was one that had everyone paying attention. It was also very clear that not only had he given this project a lot of thought, but it would be weighed heavily.

"And what about our partner? Will we be held accountable if our partner doesn't live up to expectations?" Tori asked. It was a valid question. If one person was out of character, then it could have been that the scene would be a failure as a whole. And like he said, some scenes may emphasize others more heavily, and if so, then it would be unfair to those with a lesser role.

Sikowitz had an evil smile on his face at hearing Tori's question, "When we create a film, we are responsible for our roles. Not everyone can win an Oscar, but that doesn't mean that everyone shouldn't try. In this case though, you are responsible for your role. If you preform fail to live up to the expectations set, or by even your partner's performance, you won't be happy. I'll tell you that."

By now, everyone was either terrified or incredibly excited. Most people fell into the former, but a few were certainly in the latter, Beck being one of them. "So, what are these scenes going to be? And can we choose our partner?"

"And the scene for that matter?" Andre asked, it being as relevant a question as what Beck was asking.

Sikowitz shook his head, still with an evil grin on his face. "Nope! And nope! Nobody will have any say as to who they work with or what scene they will get. Both will be chosen by me and you will all know by the end of the class, that I assure you."

Cat whined at hearing that they couldn't choose partners. "But that's not fair! Why can't we work with partners!?"

"Because Cat…" Sikowitz paused for a moment. "I don't really have an answer why, but even still, I figure that I just keep that way. It's more fun after all!"

The class groaned at hearing this, upset that they were essentially going into this project blind, with much of the details still unknown to them. And as time went on and it became more and more apparent that Sikowitz may or may not have known what was going on himself, it made the whole thing more concerning.

After a minute or two of answering a few benign questions asked by other students, Sikowitz assumed that most of those remaining would be answered on their own, so he ceased questions as he began to go into the actual lesson for the class. But as everyone was getting ready mentally for whatever acting exercise he might have come up with for today, he threw out a surprise for the class.

"Oh, I almost forgot! How I said that you would regret not living up to your character's potential. If you do not put on a believable performance, you will fail the class. Regardless of how you were doing before, if you aren't believable, no passing grade. Now, as seniors, I can't say for certain what that might mean for those who intend to graduate, but… Well, I would say I hope you invest in as much heart and sweat into these roles as the actors did."

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 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	15. Limitations of Scotch Tape

**Chapter 15. Limitations of Scotch Tape**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Vega Residence - January 20th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

Tori got out of her car, not even sure why she parked in the street as opposed to in the driveway. Even though he had been arriving home earlier than before, it wasn't like her father was going to arrive anytime soon, nor was there any real chance that her mother was going to be going out. That was pretty much how it had been for the entire week, just like how it had been before she returned to school, and although she was a little hopeful that by when the weekend arrived things might change, she knew better than to keep her hopes up.

Walking towards the front door, she could hear the deafening sounds of the TV, even managing to catch a quick glimpse of something on the table nearest the touch. _Wine… Of course… What'd you expect Tori? That your mom may try not to drink away the weekend. After all, she's only been drinking the entire week now. Whatever…_ She sighed as she opened the door and proceeded into the house, not even bothering to acknowledge her mom – and nor did she acknowledge Tori's arrival. The Latina didn't even want to so much as turn around, to know just how much of the bottle had she drunk by now. Rather, Tori proceeded to the fridge, seeing what there was to drink other than alcohol.

 _Orange juice, soy milk, Pepsi… Do we not have any ice tea?_ Looking disappointed, Tori gave up her search, instead grabbing for a water bottle and into one of the cabinets for a personal packet of ice tea mix. If there wasn't any authentic ice tea in the house, she'd just have to make do with the artificial kind. But it wasn't like there would be any considerable difference in taste, nor would it negatively impact how her Panera Bread would taste. As she shook the water bottle, watching the powder clump up and then dissolve apart, she almost didn't see the other individual walk through the front door. It was only as she turned towards the stairs that she even saw, her father standing in the doorway, his eyes focused for a moment on his wife before meeting with those of his daughter.

"Dad," Tori said coldly, neither showing any sort of disdain nor any other emotion really. It was mute, muted in emotion. Really, it was like she just didn't care anymore.

"Hey Tori," Her father responded, a little timid, strangely weak from what she was used to hearing him speak like. But a strong person doesn't betray his daughter's trust either, so maybe that was just his true voice. David struck another quick glance at Holly, her body having barely moved, other than an arm reaching towards the glass of wine, bringing it to her lips and then putting it back where it was before. He frowned at the sight but shifted his focus entirely back to Tori almost immediately, "Hey, you have a minute to talk?"

She was far from being in the mood to talk, and certainly not with him or about whatever that might have been. Tori felt like there was nothing that needed to be said, nothing more than what she had said to him several weeks back. A part of her wanted to just disregard him entirely, to pretend like he didn't exist; much like how her mom now seemed to think that neither of them existed. But for as much as she felt justified in doing something like that, she couldn't. After all, he was still her father, but blood only ran so thick. "I would, but I have a lot of homework to do. Maybe another time…"

And with that, Tori was already walking away, not bothering to hear another word of David's, though there wasn't much lost. He seemed to stumble upon his words as he felt rejection overtake him, seeing firsthand the disappointment and anger Tori held towards him and his wife. By now, he was already familiar with Tori's preferred behavior of sending herself into isolation within her room, as every time he had gotten home, she was there or just out entirely. But this was the first time that he had really seen just how painful she could make it, how she could make her going to her room just feel like an arrow going through the heart. Yet, a part of him was actually glad that he could catch her disappear to her room; that way she wouldn't have to hear the conversation he was dreading having, one different from the one he wanted to have with Tori.

Before even saying another word, David had walked up to the TV set and shut it off, immediately turning around to grab not only Holly's glass but also the bottle of wine, taking both of them towards the sink. Up until that point, Holly had been nothing more than a husk it seemed, just sitting on the couch, drinking herself to a stupor and otherwise ignoring the rest of the world around her. In this moment, even if she may have been a drunk – and a potentially angry drunk at that – she seemed more like a person who could communicate and otherwise focus than how she looked minutes earlier. And it became quite apparent that she could do both, as soon as she saw David pour the contents of both into the sink, placing the empty bottle and glass beside the rim of the sink.

"The hell you doing?" It was apparent just by the first few words that she said that David could tell that she had to have been drinking for the greater extent of the day. That was of course if he ignored the fact that she found herself relying on anything in sight to help support herself as she walked towards the counter. Before she even came about halfway, David was already proceeding back towards her, effectively leading her to the couches again; them being the safest place for her to be in her current state.

"You and I need to talk, Holly." His words were stern, a complete contrast to only moments earlier when he tried to speak with Tori. While he might not have been sure how to approach a dialogue with his daughter, with his wife he was wholly aware of how to go about it. "And the last thing that either of us need is another drink."

"Oh, don't be all _Mr. Detective_ with me! You don't know what I need, or anything." She spat venom, what was of her conscious not exactly putting in significant effort to process just what she was saying, but instead preferring to vocalize the first insult that could come to mind. "But your liquor is fine, but mine isn't?"

Unbeknownst to either of them - while David Vega would have wanted their conversation to be private and while Holly Vega didn't care one way or the other – Tori found herself drawn to their conversation, her interest originally peaked by the complaining of her mother regarding her wine. She sat with her back against the wall just before the top of the stairs; that way they would only be able to see them was if they were directly at the foot of the staircase. At the same time, because of the obstruction, it made things like hearing the drunken mumbling of her mother difficult to understand, but she could understand what her dad was saying without any issue.

"I'll go through each shelf and do the exact same thing, pour them into the sink. You know why? Because us, you and I, drinking ourselves into nothing isn't going to change what happened to Trina. It's not! But what about Tori?" David Vega now seemed like he was on the verge of yelling, and if Tori heard correctly, it seemed like there was a hint of sadness in his tone, like he might have holding back some emotions himself.

"Tori's a good girl. She won't end up in jail." Holly mumbled. Tori wanted to feel happy about her mother's assessment, but her drunken praises didn't exactly equate to very much. "So, why don't you leave me to what I'm doing…" The persistence of her mother caused her only to lean her head back against the wall, wishing that she wouldn't.

"No!" That was an outright yell coming from her dad, with which the suddenness of it caused Tori to almost jump up in surprise. The last time that she had heard him so angry, it had been so long she wasn't even certain herself. "Us doing what we're doing didn't do anything to help Trina. And I'll be damned if Tori ends up going down the same route because you and I couldn't get our shit together. If not for your or I, we owe it at least to her. We owe it to the daughter we still have not to fuck things over any more."

Tori was at a loss for words. On one hand, she was touched, unsure exactly how to feel about the heartfelt confession her dad seemed to be giving to his wife. She felt sad, guilty to an extent, but she also felt like it was too little too late. Withholding information about Trina from her, the two of them effectively abandoning her for the past two weeks, never bothering to call her when she was out to make sure that she was safe, not being home – or incapable – for the majorities of the days. Did they expect for them to just apologize and hope that everything was forgiven? Tori knew better than to assume anything like, and she hoped that her parents knew the same.

She closed her eyes and relaxed her body as it leaned against the wall, her focus of the conversation drifting slightly, it instead focusing on a conversation she had had earlier.

...

Flashback:

...

She sat there within the music room of Hollywood Arts, her fingers gently pressing against the keys of the grand piano. It was nice, quiet, almost a complete contrast to what it might have been at any point during normal school hours. Between the numerous music courses and private lessons, it would be a rare circumstance to see less than a handful of people in there at the least. But empty – save for Tori Vega – was something that never would happen normally.

It made her wishing that she had chosen to kill time after school in there rather than either driving around or otherwise distracting herself by sitting alone on a park bench, daydreaming away. At least here she was able to try to improve her abilities with playing the piano, which she desperately needed. The piano they had at home, practicing was pretty much an impossible option considering the state her mother was in and that it presented a potential for her and her father to see one another in the unlikelihood that he ever came home at a reasonable hour. But at least in here, she was able to fiddle away at the keys, doing her best to recall what Andre had tried to teach her, her fingers stumbling every so often on certain notes, but despite that, she wasn't too bad for a beginner.

Even though she might have considered herself somewhat competent, she still didn't consider herself to be anything of an actual performer, certainly not to the degree that Andre was, nor even a lot of the other students that went to Hollywood Arts. If any of them had heard her playing, they might have equated it to that of a child, a young student without any real promise or capability at musical playing. Hell, even of her circle of friends, it was only Andre who knew at all that she was trying to learn to play piano. And credit to him, the few lessons that he was able to have with Tori seemed to go a long way compared to how she might have been if he hadn't offered.

"You know, that sounds pretty good."

A voice called out from near the music room's door. The surprise of it, of someone happening to come across her in the room, or even that anyone else was here given that the students of Hollywood Arts had been let out almost an hour earlier. It made all the more curious as to who it was that remarked, the voice being familiar but she was so focused on playing that she didn't pay too much attention. Turning around, she couldn't help but break out a slightly surprised look of shock, given who was there with her. "Beck, what are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to my car actually. Had to stay late to make up an exam on History. Heard the music, was curious who was playing. Sure enough it happened to have been you," Beck said as he started to move from the door to the piano. He couldn't help but flash a smile of appreciation when Tori moved over, offering him a full seat on the piano chair. She started to fiddle her fingers around on the keys, causing Beck to raise his eyebrows slightly in surprise, "When'd you start playing piano?"

She stopped playing, just letting her hands lay over the keys, not hard enough to make a sound, but obvious enough that she wasn't looking to play anymore. "Andre started to teach me last year. I haven't exactly had a lot of time to practice, but lately…." She lingered on the thought for a moment before realizing it herself, quickly trying to recover her train of thought before Beck might have picked up on it. "It just seemed as good a time as any to pick it back up."

Her best efforts at diverting the conversation didn't work as she hoped, as Beck seemed to focus on what Tori said. 'But lately…' It was curious to say, but not entirely shocking given the last few weeks and how they had been affecting Tori. What did stand out most to him though was the fact that she was here playing rather than home. Unless something had happened in the last two weeks, she still should have a full sized piano in her living room. "Why are you playing here though? You have a piano at home."

Tori's eyes froze for a moment. She wanted to kick herself for forgetting for that moment that she had a piano at home. And to make it worse, Beck caught what she said, the inconsistency about her house before she realized it herself. "Yeah… Well I don't know. I guess it's just convenient I guess."

He simply stared at her for a moment, watching as she squirmed in her seat, wishing that he would believe the explanation she gave and leave it at that. Every couple of seconds, she shifted her eyes from her hands, both still suspended just over the keys, to Beck. With each time, as soon as she caught sight of his eyes, she darted them back to her hands. "What!?" She finally exclaimed.

"You know, you can just say what's wrong, rather than just keeping shit secret," he said. In some respects, it was like he was the older brother who a person could fall back on with issues, but he would be reluctant to get himself involved, but when he did, it was a like a sigh of relief. Tori knew this too, and it was an attribute of Beck that she always admired, that she always respected. "So, is that why you're here now? Because it's convenient?"

Tori sighed. He wasn't going to relent on the topic, and though she didn't want to talk about it, she conceded. "Because it's not my home." She couldn't turn to face Beck; instead she just focused on the keys of the piano.

"Did something happen at home?" Beck asked, his voice sounding of concern. Throughout what had been going on with Tori, he hadn't showed the same outward concern that Jade had displayed, but it didn't mean that he wasn't worried for her. And now, even after Trina's sentencing, he couldn't help but be concerned for her.

Tori lifted her head up, a smile strangely appearing on her face, "No! Of course not Beck! Why would anything have happened at home to make you worried?" What sounded like a faint laugh escaped from her lips, and Beck couldn't help but feel more and more worried about Tori as things went on. She didn't seem like herself and the sarcastic tone she spoke with only managed to reaffirm that.

"I mean, my life is fine! Granted, my sister is in prison for probably at least a year only because she made some deal which I don't even know the details to. But my dad knows it, but he's never comes home nowadays and when he is all he would rather do is keep things hidden from me like the fact that Trina's sentencing was taking place until the very last minute."

Beck wanted to say something, but he found himself hesitant to talk. It was obvious enough that given the events of the past few weeks, Tori would have a lot of pent-up stress and it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to Beck that this was how she was preferring to release it. Rather, it was what she was seeming to be hysterical about that took him for a surprise.

"But I mean, that's fine, right? I can just go talk to my mom instead about how I'm feeling. Only she might as well be living on our couch with an IV that's just pumping some sort of wine into her. So no Beck, everything at home is great! It couldn't be better!"

She just looked exhausted, almost like she had wanted to cry. And while a part of her wanted to cry, she couldn't bring herself to. She had cried enough over the past few weeks, and she was tired of it. And she was so damn tired of feeling like she had to keep everything to herself. "Everything is falling apart, Beck… Everything is wrong… and I don't know what to do to fix it…"

There was something odd, something unsettling about seeing Tori like this. Was she wrong to lash out at him, to be so incensed? Not at all. If anything, that she hadn't displayed this kind of emotion might have been viewed as the greater concern. No, but right now it was the fact that she seemed to be blaming herself which troubled Beck the most. He didn't get why Tori was thinking that she was to blame for all of this. That was the furthest thing from the truth.

Beck thought for a moment, trying to come up with an appropriate way to respond to what Tori was saying. It wasn't fair how it seemed things had been dealt to her, and he wanted to just say that, but he couldn't help think that she would dismiss it if he said as much. An idea came to his head. "You know, in sports, football, baseball, whatever."

"Beck, no offense, but I don't want to talk about sports." Tori interrupted, not wanting to deal with whatever he was talking about, immediately assuming it wasn't relevant to the topic at hand.

"Here me out," he insisted. "Whatever the sport, there's a chance that an athlete gets hurt. It might be something small, and they may be back in the game after a few minutes. And sometimes, they get hurt. An injury that ends their season. And as much as they want to go back in and play, as much as they would like to be able to play next week, it might not happen, and as much as they want to, they can't rush a recovery."

"I still don't see what you're getting at."

"It's the nature of things, that at times, life throws a curve ball at us. We can't control it, can't do shit about it. And as much as wanna just put on some extra padding, or insist that we're in control, sometimes we can't do anything. When you have a drinking glass that shattered, you can't just attach the pieces together again with scotch tape and assume that it'll be alright."

Tori sat there as he listened to Beck talk. She didn't care much for the original sports analogy, but she couldn't help but appreciate what he was saying, what he was getting at. "So, you're saying…?" She wasn't entirely sure of just what he was saying.

Beck smiled at her, "What I'm saying is that not everything is an instant fix. That drinking glass, it may take longer than you'd like, but you can seal the glass together again and be able to drink from it. The athlete's injury, they'll eventually recover from it and dominate again."

He got up from the piano and gently patted Tori on the head in a way similar to someone might have patted a dog, but even in that respect there was no disrespect meant by it. "Things'll be OK, Tori. Just give it time." He started walking away before stopping in place and turning back towards her, "I'll give you a call later. Maybe then we can work out a general idea of when we can start meeting up to work on Sikowitz's project. That good with you?"

Tori smiled for the first time in what seemed like a long while. "Sure. Just give me a call tonight. We can probably meet tomorrow or something and then work it out from there."

"Sounds good! Talk to ya later Tori," Beck remarked as he turned around again towards the door and walked out, once again leaving Tori alone in the room.

"Bye Beck…" her words trailed as she watched him walk away. A part of her was happy about him finally going, but she liked the company. It beat the eerie silence that seemed to permeate through the room. She sought to drown it out by playing something, and for whatever reason, her mind wandered back to one of the first songs that Andre had tried to teach her, the first one that she had given up trying to master.

Her fingers began to tap against the keys, as if she had never forgotten how to play, in spite of perhaps how much she would have liked to have forgotten.

 _"You might be crazy… Have I told you lately that I love you?"_

She didn't even realize at first that she was even singing along with the song. It sort of felt wrong, singing that song, yet she found herself compelled nonetheless to keep playing.

 _"You're the only reason that I'm… that I'm not afraid to fly."_

She found herself choking up on the words, at times even struggling to get them out.

 _"And it's crazy… that someone could change me…"_

She felt something on her cheek. A tear. _Damn it. Not now._

 _"Now no matter what it is… I have to… what it is I have to do…"_

As much as the singer in her wanted to keep going, Tori couldn't. Here she was, sitting alone, fighting back tears, unable to even complete so much as a single chorus to a song. This was what she had become, what she had bottled up, and she didn't understand why.

Why couldn't things be as easy as how Beck had described them? The idea that things would just get better, that somehow the pain that Trina caused their family would just be fixed, it was a hopeful prospect. But it was one that was as much unrealistic.

For her, the best thing she could have done was just to accept that fact, to accept the reality that this was her life now. The past, she had no reason to believe that it was going to go back to how it was…

 _How could it?_

 _..._

* * *

She wondered it herself, how Beck could have imagined that things would have happened like they were seeming to. Did he know? Was it just wishful thinking?

Tori wasn't sure of either. But she was certain, based on what she was hearing of her father and mother, how things were now wasn't how they were meant to be. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. No talking, nothing. It wasn't until she heard what sounded like a clang that she realized what it must have been; the sound of liquor bottles clanging against each other. In the garbage? _Did he really get rid of all of it? Just for her?_ She was stunned, utterly stunned. _He really cares? About her?_

 _About me?_

"Things'll be OK. We'll get through it." It was the last thing she heard before she couldn't take it anymore, before she departed back for her room. Locking herself in, she rolled into her bed and lay there, processing what she heard, what happened earlier, trying to determine how things in the future might play out.

All in all, she was overcome with uncertainty. And it scared her. It scared the hell out of her.

But in spite of it, there were moments when she couldn't help but flash a smile, knowing that what Beck said happened to be true. That things took time to mend.

And so would the Vega family… At least, Tori hoped that time would be able to mend how things were now.

Oh, did she hope.

But how had hope done for her up to this point?

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 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	16. Adulthood

**Chapter 16. Adulthood**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

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 **...**

 **Hollywood Arts Music Room - February 19th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

"I'm sorry Tori, but I just think the whole concept of it is stupid," Beck plainly remarked.

Tori was left at a slight loss for words. For someone who as dedicated to the idea of performing, for someone who wasn't at all unfamiliar with the whole thing of auditions, it seemed rather odd, if not even hypocritical, to feel what he was saying. "How can you say that? After all, it's the Senior Showcase! Isn't that the idea of it, to highlight the talent of Hollywood Arts' senior class?" She actually found herself a bit surprised by how she came off with that, sounding almost like a promoter for it.

"I just don't like the whole idea of having us have to audition, as if there's some sort of question about whether we have the talent or are up to _their_ standards to perform. I mean, we all had to audition to get into this school. The fact that they're now saying that that we aren't good enough to put on a closing performance, then why the hell did we even go to school or be involved in all of these plays and auditions and things?"

The expression on Beck's face clearly showed how he felt regarding the whole thing, and Tori couldn't help but admit that to a degree, he was right. They did all have to audition to get into Hollywood Arts, and then re-audition to get back into it after Helen took over the role of principal. If students, themselves included, had managed to remain at school after having gone through two auditions, who was Helen – or whomever were the apparent judges for the Senior Showcase auditions – to say that they were good enough. Yet at the same time too, nobody – not even Beck – could fault people for preferring that people with genuine talent perform as opposed to someone who never really shined at the school, like Sinjin.

She blankly strolled her fingers only the keys of the piano, not playing any particular song or track, but instead just filling the music room with sound. It helped her get her mind off of her incoming audition to perform in the Showcase. Earlier on Friday she had been notified by Sikowitz that the date for it had been set to next week, far sooner than anything she was expecting it to have been.

Unfortunately too, the recent news meant that focusing on her and Beck's performance for their Sikowitz project was that much more of a challenge. And today, after having scheduled to come take advantage of the emptiness of the school on a Sunday to get some rehearsals done, it wasn't seeming like too much progress was going to have been made on it. She felt awful, considering the fact that it had been a few weeks since Beck had approached her with hoping to get a schedule of sorts set up and even now it seemed like she wasn't all there.

Her distress was apparent to Beck as well, who simply quietly observed as he lay on a small makeshift bed composed of some rearranged chairs. Not particularly comfortable, but at the same time it had a more roomy feeling to it than just sitting in a chair. That had more the feeling of being in class and he didn't want to think of being in school any more than he already did. And with Tori playing on the piano, it provided a unique atmosphere to the room, which made it feel almost like a lounge than a classroom.

The sound of hands pounding on a bunch of keys dispelled that illusion.

"Ugh, I can't believe they only gave me a week! How the heck am I supposed to pick a song and get everything ready by then?"

Beck lifted his head up from his chair bed, "Surely you've had auditions with less notice time than a week. And like you're were applying to a college." He really had no idea as to if that was true or not. He hadn't made any effort in getting into a college yet, not so much because of an inability to get in, but rather just him being hopeful – or foolish depending on your perspective – of managing a lucky break. Of everyone in their circle of friends, perhaps only Tori could compete with him when it came to high profile performances, and if not being bogged down with college work meant that he could pursue more roles, he felt it was worth the risk.

Tori tilted her head down to stare at the keys for a moment. Was she overreacting to the audition? Was it that she was panicked about it? Excited? Maybe it was that she didn't know if Jade, Andre, or Cat had been given their audition dates yet. Did they even intend on auditioning? The fact she didn't know yet only contributed further to the uneasiness.

Finally, she lifted her head back up to look at Beck, his body remaining where it was for probably the last several minutes, at least. Well before she started playing on the piano. "I'm sorry Beck… First day we actually get to practice and I derail it with my own problems."

It was hearing this that Beck actually moved more than shifting his head, getting up entirely from the chairs and walking towards the piano. "No need to apologize. I mean, first of all it's wrong of me of asking us to meet up today. It's your birthday after all. You should be out partying or whatever you kids do," he said with a smile on his face.

This caused Tori to chuckle slightly herself. Even to her, even though she had been counting down the days, it didn't fully hit her that it was her birthday. That as of today she was 18 years old.

It was then she remembered.

"Oh crap!" She exclaimed as she took a look at her watch.

Beck was taken aback by this. Rarely did Tori swear, even if it were more friendly terms like "crap" as opposed to more profound language. So hearing her seem surprised, it was different. "What!?"

She nodded, "Yeah, just I forgot that I have to go in a couple of minutes."

Beck had a slightly concerned look on his face, "Is something going on? Everything OK?"

Seeing the look of Beck's face, Tori couldn't help but return a similar look. She hadn't meant for it to sound like she was in trouble or anything. "Oh, no! No, everything's fine!" A couple of laughs escaped as she explained, "Just my parents are taking me out to Maestro's to celebrate today, and I don't want to get home too late and have them rushing me to get ready."

"Not bad. Not bad," Beck remarked. It felt like it had been years since he had last eaten at Maestro's, given that Helen had pulled all of the funds that they had previously used for their "ping pong tournaments". And the fact that it was one of the most expensive places to eat was also a pretty big deterrent. That said, he couldn't help but smile at hearing that Tori's parents were taking her there, especially given how she was confiding in him only a few weeks earlier about them. "So, are things good now? Between you and your parents I mean?"

If it had been a few weeks earlier, or probably even last week, or even just someone other than like Beck or Andre or Jade, Tori would have been reluctant to talk about the subject at all. But now it didn't feel as bad, because now the situation itself wasn't as bad. "Eh, I mean things aren't perfect, but they're getting a lot better. It's not like how it was a couple weeks ago. Not at all." That was perhaps the most important thing, that even though things weren't entirely as they were once between her and her parents, there was no longer a seemingly endless field of distance and distrust between the two.

"That's awesome!" He thought back to the advice he had given her a couple of weeks back, that he had suggested that she just wait things out, but given how soon it was that she was talking positively about her relationship with them – and not seeming to be putting on an act at all, but speaking genuinely about them – he couldn't help but tell that she had intervened in some way. And sure enough, it worked. "If you don't mind me asking, how'd you manage it?"

"Well that's the crazy thing. It wasn't even me. It was my dad!"

That was a surprise. Given how Tori was describing how her father's relationship with her was seeming to be as of late, he wouldn't have figured that he would have managed to seemingly fix things so quickly. There might have been more to it, but it wasn't in Beck's place to pry. "Maybe he found religion," he jokingly said.

Tori chuckled at that response. It might have been the actual reason for him pushing the initiative, but she hadn't heard him speak any scripture nor do any crazy religious stuff, so she had to assume not. "I don't think so. I mean, he hasn't tried to drag me to church at all."

"A fair enough argument." Beck got up and started to grab his things, but not before turning his head towards Tori, "Wanna meet tomorrow and see if we can get at least some practice in?"

Tori gave a weak smile, one that conveyed a bit of guilt but also appreciation, "Sure. We can probably meet after school or something."

Beck nodded, "We'll figure something out."

Just as he was about to walk out of the room, Beck turned to see Tori similarly packing up her things to go. "Hey Tori," he called out to her. Once she had lifted her head up from her bag, he smiled, "Happy birthday!"

A wide smile had appeared on Tori's face as she watched Beck disappear into the hallway. It wasn't the first time that one of her friends had wished her happy birthday, be it via text, a call, a message on TheSlap, or even Cat who drove the Vega house earlier and tossed confetti all over their driveway. But even then, it brought it was a nice gesture and was appreciated nonetheless. She returned to packing her things away, her thoughts again wandering to things like her upcoming audition, when she would actually be able to practice her scene with Beck, and what she was going to get at dinner tonight.

* * *

 **...**

 **The Vega Residence**

 **...**

Tori arrived home rather quickly, compared at least to how long she would have typically dragged on the drive from the Hollywood Arts' parking lot to the Vega driveway. In the past, it could have been anywhere from five minutes to as much as fifteen or so minutes. Or even more if she were so inclined and dedicated. One time she had even managed to make the trip last nearly an hour, but she swore after that that she wouldn't drag it out that long ever again. This time though, it was only a couple of minutes and due in part to her mind wondering what she would end up ordering, she found herself starving as she slammed the car door shut.

"I'm home," she announced as she walked through the front door. She didn't get any response, which led her to believe that her parents were both upstairs getting ready. After all, both of their cars were parked in the driveway and for them to go back to old habits – on Tori's birthday no less – she didn't want to think that.

Ascending the stairs, she suspicions were realized when she heard her father, mumbling something that she couldn't entirely make out. She at least heard something about a tie, so he figured that he was getting ready. Therefore it was probably best if she started getting ready herself, lest she get some reminder about how quick Maestro's is to ignore reservations. It was another reason why she had felt as compelled to get home as promptly as she did, as he had mentioned it to her before she left for school today.

"Is Tori home yet?" She heard him say out loud, which a different mumble confirmed to her that her mom was home too.

"Yeah dad! Getting ready now," she called out from her room, speaking loud enough that he'd be able to hear her, even if he several rooms down the hall.

"That's my girl!"

Tori couldn't help but roll her eyes at her father's enthusiasm. To a certain extent, it felt forced, like he was trying too hard to regain her trust. They both knew better to assume that immediately she was just going to forgive them, but at the same time, she wasn't going to just not let him back in. Much like what Beck had said, it was going to take time. Tori had no problem welcoming back her parents to her world, but she wouldn't immediately allow them to roam free, just yet.

It was remarkable how quickly time seemed to pass as she got ready. It felt as though only a minute earlier she was just arriving home and now she was heading out the door again, towards her father's car with him and her mother. As they both got into the front seats and Tori into the backseat, David Vega turned around and smiled at his daughter. "I'm proud of you, Tori. Congratulations."

She smiled at him, at a loss for words really. She was 18 now. It was supposed to be one of the big moments of a child's life, the day where they official are recognized as an adult, but she barely felt like one. She was still in high school, without a job, with her plans for the future all uncertain at this point. Adults were supposed to have an idea of what they're doing, and she looked at herself as being the complete opposite. So to hear her father's praise, it felt wrong; like the achievement he was recognizing of her she hadn't earned yet.

Throughout the entire car ride to Maestro's, Tori was pretty much silent. She either stared out the window or otherwise tuned in and out of the conversation that her parents were having. Whatever they were talking about, it wasn't anything worth her turning her head for. Unless it was about food, then she might have paid more attention.

Though the distance from the Vega household to Maestro's isn't much further than what it takes to get to Hollywood Arts, it felt numerous times longer, especially as anticipation and hunger began to overtake Tori's focus. Once they finally did arrive, Tori was ready to rip the car door from its hinges to get out, but given the atmosphere and the fanciness of the restaurant, she restrained herself.

As the valet took David Vega's car to the parking lot, he led them through the front doors of the restaurant. Tori couldn't help but shoot a quick glance at the people who were seated at the couches nearest the door, all of them waiting for a seat to become available.

"May I help you?" The arrogance in the receptionist's voice was so blatant that Tori almost found herself cringing. _What a douche._ A hostile thought, but an appropriate one that the majority of the people who were waiting were feeling as well.

"Yes. We had reservations under the name Vega. David Vega." The way that David spoke was a bit of a contrast to how he usually spoke. It was how he typically spoke when he was working and hearing him speak like that, Tori could immediately tell that how she felt about the receptionist was mutually felt.

"Vega… Vega… Ah yes, the rest of your party has already been seated." He shot a quick glance at the Vega family before turning his attention back to whatever it was that he was reading. "Only three not yet accounted for, to which I assume you are?"

David nodded, "Yes. That would be us. Myself, my wife, and my daughter."

The receptionist nodded, taking a step away from the lectern he had been stationed at. "Very well, if you would follow me please."

As they followed the man, Tori couldn't help but wonder who they were talking about. _The rest of your party? Who else is here? Can't be too many. No way he'd be willing to dish out that kind of money on a dinner…_ She began to process who else it could have been that her father invited. Other family members? None in the area at least that he liked enough to invite to a place like this. Co-workers? Highly doubt that he would invite them for Tori's birthday. His own, maybe. But certainly not for Tori's.

She found herself utterly stumped. From what she remembered the one time that they did eat here of the prices, it was hard to imagine that he would shell out much more money than just the three of them. It must have been a mistake or something.

When they finally arrived at their table, she realized just how wrong she was.

Already seated were Andre, Jade, Cat, Robbie, and Beck.

 _Oh my God… He invited all of them…_

Tori was beside herself in as much glee as it was disbelief. She didn't figure that her father would have invited them all out there, and once she processed that they had to have known about this earlier and that Beck made no reference to it at all, it was all a surprise.

And surprised she was. So much so that she wanted to just hug each and every one of them.

* * *

 **...**

 **Maestro's Fine Dining & Live Music**

 **...**

The last time that she had eaten at Maestro's, Tori was positive that it was the best tasting food ever.

Tonight she found herself again reaffirming that position. The food that they serve at Maestro's was truly the greatest food that any person could have ever hoped to have dined upon during the course of their entire lives.

"So good," Andre muttered, his mouth so full of food that it was as much a testament to the quality of the food as it was a disgusting sight to see. And judging by the reactions of the people at the table, the general opinion was almost universally in the latter school of thought. Once he swallowed, he turned his head, noticing the numerous eyes just focused on them, as if he weren't wearing anything other than underwear. "What?"

"You sound like you're trying to answer a phone call while someone's holding your head in a toilet." Rex blurted out, which subsequently caused everyone to instead focus on the puppet rather than Andre's poor manners. Rex's head rotated around the table, meeting with everyone who was focused on them, "The truth hurts."

Everyone left it at that.

"So Vega," Jade began, "It feels a bit weird, doesn't it? You know, you being dressed for the occasion for a change?" She had a smirk on her face, the memory of the last time they had eaten here still being clear in her mind, particularly the looks that people had been giving Tori throughout the night.

Tori shot back a fake smile towards Jade, "Like they say, first is the worst. Second is the best." She took a quick shot at around the table, noticing everyone who seemed to be enjoying their food. Returning her focus back to Jade, there appeared what looked like a genuine smile on her face, "And it really is great that you're all here."

"You can thank your dad for that," Robbie remarked. He was slightly disappointed that he wasn't permitted to get any caviar, but given the events of last time and how he had managed to rack up such a huge charge, it's not as though he wasn't expecting it.

"When did he tell you all about this?" Tori asked as a general question, hoping that someone, anyone really, would answer.

"Like two weeks ago or something," Cat said.

"Yeah, something like that," Andre added. The truth was, it was hard for any of them to completely remember when David Vega extended the invitation for them to join them. Much of which was due to what was going on at Hollywood Arts, either between the project that they had for Sikowitz – for which only Beck and Tori had yet to make any real progress on it – or applying to colleges or something of that nature. But even in spite of forgetting when it was that they were offered, each of them immediately responded with confirmation that they would be there.

After all, a chance to celebrate Tori's 18th birthday, along with being treated to some of the best food that someone could get in Los Angeles? Who would pass that up?

At that point, there was just general chit chat, for the most part between Tori and her friends, with her parents perhaps adding a small remark every so often but otherwise engaged in their own separate conversation.

"So Jade, there's a question I've been meaning to ask you for a bit," Andre said, the seemingly randomness of it prompting several people at the table to listen in, Tori included. "Do you have a twin?"

Jade simply stared at Andre for a moment, with a look that more reflected confusion than anything else. "Is that supposed to be a serious question? What makes you think I have a twin sister?"

"Doesn't Jade just have a brother?" Tori asked. Now that she thought about it, she never actually met Jade's brother. So the possibility that Jade might have had a twin, maybe not as unrealistic as she originally thought.

"I'm serious," Andre continued, "When I had my audition a few weeks back at UCLA, I saw someone who I swear, if you looked at them and you, you wouldn't be able to tell the two of them apart." There were looks from the others that seemed to mi between intrigue and disbelief. "I'm telling ya, looked exactly like Jade."

"Maybe it was Jade," Cat chimed in.

Rather than carry on with the conversation, it just stopped there, nobody bothering to bring it back up further.

Finally, it seemed that David Vega had broken out of his conversation with Holly and addressed the table, though more specifically Tori. "So, I just want to thank all of you for joining Tori. After all, today's a special day." He got up from his seat rose a glass up in the air with the intent of making a toast, to which everyone else also rose their glass. "As a father, I can't tell you how proud I am of you. I think I speak for everyone here when I say we've seen you mature in a young woman who's clearly ready to take on the world." Just looking at David, it was clear that he was quite emotional, it looking like he was holding back tears. "To Tori! Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday!" It was pretty much echoed throughout the table as multiple glasses tapped against one another, some of them being so loud that it would have been believable that some would have shattered.

As David took his seat again, he wiped away a lone tear of joy from his face, hoping that nobody saw it. "Tori, there was something else," He began, reaching into his coat and pulling out a large manila envelope. "Was going to give this to you earlier, but figured that now would be the most appropriate time to do it. I'm sure that you'll agree."

It was surprisingly thick for an envelope and though some people had suspicions of what it might have been, they kept quiet as not to assume incorrectly. Tori also had an idea of what it might have been, but she didn't want to speculate either, instead she opted just to open it.

But upon opening the flap and taking a quick peak inside of it, she was left paralyzed. Her eyes widened as they remained fixated on the contents inside, to which Jade couldn't help but smile at, knowing exactly what was happening.

Beyond excited, it took a moment for Tori to fully process what she was looking at, and even further for her to do anything more. Finally, after what seemed to be like a moment where time utterly stood still, Tori reached into the envelope and revealed the contents to everyone at the table.

It was a yellow folder and everyone immediately knew the significance of it.

After all, it had been in her thoughts for the greater extent for the past several months, even in spite of the drama and everything else that had been going on in her life. But for the moment, none of the past seemed to matter to Tori.

Because she had just been accepted into her dream college! She was going to UCLA!

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	17. We'll Be Fine

**Chapter 17. We'll Be Fine**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Sikowitz's Classroom - February 20th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

Tired.

That was perhaps the most appropriate term to describe how Tori was feeling today, having taken considerable enjoyment at a dinner that consisted not only of her being in the company of her parents and her closest friends, perhaps the greatest meal that she can recall eating, as well as finding out that she had been accepted to the college of her dreams. To go from a night like that, with all the excitement and glee that was being felt to having to slog through another day of class; to call it torture would be an understatement as far as she was concerned.

At first, it didn't really hit her. Her first few classes were as they usually were, pretty much nothing happening out of the ordinary other than wishing she had saved more of her meal from the night before. It was just around their lunch period, perhaps a period before then that it started to really hit her. She found her straining to keep her eyes open and her focus fully attentive to the conversations that were going on around her, the saddest thing of it being that so much of it seemed to revolve around last night.

Tori figured that with some food in her belly – though not of insane restaurant quality that she was craving – she would get that boost of energy needed to get through Sikowitz's final course of the day. If not, well it was always a chance that he might have thrown an eraser at her again, or maybe a ball or something. No way to tell, that was how Sikowitz liked to play things, and Tori being tired put her in a tough position if it came to it.

"Damn Tori… You look awful," Andre halfheartedly remarked, taking a seat next to her. If it weren't for the fact that she found herself struggling to keep herself away in her seat, no doubt she would have objected given his last remark. Andre simply leaned back in his seat, knowing that he was going to get away with one.

Tori turned just slightly so that she could see the smirk on his face from the corner of her eyes. "You really know how to charm a woman, you know that."

Hearing that, Andre found himself laughing, meanwhile leaving Tori confused at what might have been so funny. "That's rich Tori. Eighteen for a day and already referring to yourself as a woman!"

Tori's mouth was left speechless at Andre's comment. Considering how long the two of them had been friends and the level of respect that each held for one another, Tori still couldn't help but feel offended by what Andre said. Rather than indulge him any further, Tori turned her seat entirely, never quite content with how much of an angle away from him she was. It finally got to a point where she got up and proceeded to a chair slightly away from him that also happened to be in the back. _Maybe Sikowitz won't notice me sleeping here._

Andre, failing to recognize beforehand the disrespect that one could associate with his comment, threw his arms up in protest, hoping to remedy the situation in some form or another. "Tori! I was just kidding!"

"Smooth move there Andre," Jade remarked as she walked into the classroom, managing to see only the latter parts of the little interaction, particularly Tori getting up and Andre realizing his mistake. In her hand there were two cups of coffee and just behind her was Beck, carrying a cup of his own as well. Taking a seat next to Tori, she handed the Latina one of the two cups, "Figured at lunch that you might need this."

The look of Tori's face was like that of a child at Christmas, filled with utter joy. "Oh my God, thank you Jade!"

Jade shot back a smile in response, "Anytime dear."

"What about me Jade!?" Andre asked in a half-serious tone. Not even so much that he wanted coffee, but just at the fact that seemingly out of the goodness of her heart.

Jade turned her head, revealing a slight smirk on her face, "You weren't on the verge of passing out into your salad at lunch."

Andre shrugged his shoulders and simply conceded while Tori blushed slightly. She had hoped that she wasn't so obvious in her being tired, and when Jade and Beck left early at lunch, they hadn't given a reason. Perhaps now for the best that they hadn't, lest more of the focus been focused on Tori.

Taking a sip, she couldn't help but notice that it was quite sweet, much more than she knew Jade to take her coffee, but not too sweet for Tori's taste. _How much sugar did Jade have put in this? Oh God, what else might she have put in it?_ Lost in thought as to what her friend might have done to her coffee, she didn't even notice the phone vibrating in her pocket, signaling the missed call. _Crap!_ She knew who that was and now was hoping that they'd get back to her with a text or at least wait until after class ended.

As the class continued to wait for Sikowitz to get to class - something which was seeming to be more common as the year went on, him being late for class or otherwise delaying it – Tori felt another light vibration within her pocket, indicative of a text than a call. Pulling out her phone quickly, she took a slight sigh of relief as she read the text.

 **Dad: Spoke with Financial Aid. Said they will get back to me within the hour.**

Tori quickly typed away at a response lest Sikowitz enter the room and snatch her phone away.

 **Tori: Thanks Dad!**

"You seem a bit more lively. Good news or is it just that the coffee is something incredibly amazing?" Jade inquired, having taken the seat which Andre had voluntarily abandoned moments ago.

"Well, the coffee is just a given!" Tori remarked as she took another sip from it. Truthfully, it was exactly what she needed, but it wasn't the sole reason. "My dad went through some of the forms in the packet after we got back from Maestro's. There wasn't anything about scholarships, tuition, or things like that. He'd be trying to get in touch with them since about when I left for school today. They're supposed to get back to him within the hour, so hopefully…"

"Hopefully they flood you with scholarship offers and free money," Jade finished her sentence for her, taking another sip of coffee herself afterwards.

Tori laughed, "Heh, that'd be something. But that's more likely you than me."

Jade shook her head, dismissive of the idea, "You're too kind." In many respects, Tori was probably right, but Jade preferred not to believe it. Everyone knew that she was bound to be the valedictorian of their class, but she hated people talking about it, hated being singled out for being a genius, when she was far from it. It was just unwanted attention that made other people jealous of her, and she didn't need that.

All of a sudden there was a loud crash as one of the windows nearest the stage shattered into hundreds of pieces, many of them flying outwards. The suddenness of it had everyone shocked, seemingly paralyzed and unable to do anything but assume what might have caused it. Someone throwing a rock perhaps, spontaneous shattering, an act of God? It was so odd that nobody had bothered to consider the man who was laying on the stage, wearing a bicycle helmet. It wasn't until someone had taken their eyes off of the now shattered window did they even realize he was there.

"Sikowitz!" Someone called out.

Quickly students rushed to the stage, seeing if their teacher was alright, and as they helped him to his feet, some people perhaps expecting to see cuts and wounds from his crash, he seemed to be without a mark on him. As he stood and got his bearings, he seemed utterly unaffected by the crash, brushing himself off like it was nothing.

"Well that was certainly something," He started off, beginning his class as he casually walked over the shards of glass. The fact that he was wearing shoes, this being one of the few times that the students had ever seen him wearing them, only seemed to indicate that all of that was preplanned. "My suggestion though, is if you are going to try that, is to be sure you wear a helmet." He tapped on the helmet he was wearing like it was a badge of honor that he was wearing.

Beck only remained in his seat throughout the whole scene, simply watching everything transpire. In the four years he had been going to Hollywood Arts, he had become convinced that there wasn't a thing that the teacher could have done at this point to surprise Beck. Today he found himself corrected. "So, you jumping through the window, lost a bet or something?"

Sikowitz frowned slightly, "Now now Beck. Don't tell me you've never had the desire to go flying, head first through a window?"

Beck shrugged, "Can't say that I have."

"Your loss." Sikowitz took off the helmet, tossing it to the side as he addressed his class, "So students, how are you all coming along with your projects? After all, the deadline on it is quickly coming along the corner!"

The class was silent, perplexed, and otherwise confused. Taking the initiative, Robbie rose his hand, "You never told us when the projects were due."

Sikowitz rose an eyebrow, "Oh course of I did!"

Tori spoke in a slightly timid manner, "No you didn't."

"Where you all just playing on your phones? I know I gave you all the due dates for the assignments."

Cat rose her hand now, "No you didn't. Because when you gave us the assignment I wrote it in my planner in red ink. And I write all the assignments in red and then their due dates next to them in blue ink and I don't have anything in blue for it. I do have Tori's birthday dinner written in pink!" She said as she showed the open pages of her day planner, the pink birthday reminder seeming to be encircled a number of times. Tori blushed.

Sikowitz scratched his chin for a few moments. "Hmm, I see. Well Tori… Thanks for not letting us know it was your birthday! Would have a genuine reason to bring in a cake!" There were several moans of disappointment, which caused the Latina to slump into her seat slightly. "But that aside, I'll just have to take your words and Cat's planner that you are telling the truth. So, after careful consideration, and given that those of you who are looking to perform in the Senior Showcase will have your auditions next week, I feel it only makes sense for us to start presenting these projects… immediately after that!"

There were a considerable number of groans now, many of the people certainly hoping that there would be more time than just over a week, Tori especially. Really, she and Beck hadn't managed to get any time at all invested in actually practicing their scene to make it appear believable. In her own free time she had gone over the lines, but actually acting it out, making a believable performance, she wasn't anywhere close to where she was hoping to be.

"Which brings me to another important point. Earlier last week, I had a student come speak with me about a concern they had which I hadn't accounted for. What if, after you give your incredible performance, after you bleed your heart and soul out in your acting, that the person who might be sitting next to you has no idea as to the context of your story? It would be devastating as I'm certain that all of us would want our performances to be entirely realized. Therefore, rather than having you all do your performances over the course of a single class or two, I'm going to space the entire thing over the entirety of that week. Instead of it just being scene after scene, it'll be we watch the actual scene, as a class we'll discuss it, and then afterwards, you'll perform them."

Tori couldn't help but look around at people's reactions to this change that Sikowitz was adding. There were some who were concerned, perhaps banking on the obscurity of their scenes. Some were thrilled, Jade especially. Whatever scene she had been given, no doubt she was glad that everyone would understand it. Tori found herself conflicted. On one hand, she was excited to perform her scene and have people know what it was about. It wasn't an uncommon scene and was pretty memorable, but even still, that everyone would have it fresh in their minds when they put it on, it only further made her worry that they weren't anywhere close to ready yet.

"So, while we're on the topic of your projects, how about you give us a quick rundown on the progress you all as groups have made. Now, before you get too much into detail, and know this moving forward until you present your project. Don't tell anyone what your scene is, from what movie it is, or even hint at the actors who performed the scenes. Just like how we hate it when people spoil things for us, I don't want any of us to be spoiled and know what to expect. Now, who wants to go first with their-"

Before he could continue, he found himself being cut off by Jade, who didn't even wait to be acknowledged or waste time by raising her hand. "Sikowitz, I need a change to my project."

Sikowitz frowned and crossed his arms. It wasn't too great of a surprise to hear that Jade wouldn't be content entirely with the project. However though, it was a bit of a surprise that she would be going as far as to demand a change. "What exactly is the problem Jade?" Just by the tone of his voice, it was clear he wasn't all too thrilled by Jade's demand.

"Well, you thought it would be a good idea to have me paired up with a puppet rather than an actual person."

That was a bit of a surprise, not only the fact that Sikowitz had shown so much acknowledgement to Rex that he went as far as to assign the puppet a partner for this project, but also it drew the question of whether or not Jade had made any effort at all to work with Robbie or Rex, especially given the recent tension between them.

"And? Rex has been in attendance for as many classes as Robbie has. At what point do you consider him a fellow student?"

Jade looked ready to burst out in a rage, "He isn't even living! He's just a damn puppet!"

"Hey! That ain't nice!" Rex barked out.

"Jade, that's an offensive term," Robbie remarked as he covered Rex's ears.

"Robbie, I swear if you go off on that stupid ass, "you should treat Rex like an actual person" crap, I swear I'll turn it into nothing more than crushed plastic." The look on Jade's face along with the frightened expression on Robbie's face told the entire story.

Very quickly, the room became quiet, as it seemed like there was about to be a fight broken out. Tori and company could only really sit and watch, effectively powerless to the whole thing. Jade hadn't made it any secret that Rex had started to become a serious irritant to her – as it had to pretty much all of them – yet only recently it had gotten to the point where it seemed like violence could have broken out because of it.

Sikowitz fortunately seemed to recognize this as well, quickly hoping to resolve the matter, but not before putting himself between where Jade and Robbie sat, perhaps giving the latter at least an extra second to try to get out of the room in the event that she did lunge at him. "Children! Children! Let's all just calm down. No need for any fighting! That's what the stage acting class is for!" He broke out into a weak, forced laugh, but he quickly stopped when he realized that he was alone. "Well, I suppose Jade that I could let you do the assignment with someone else, provided they had a partner who was willing to work on theirs' solo. But I don't know if there's-"

"Yo Sikowitz! Right here man!" Andre practically yelled out, pointing to himself, doing whatever he could to grab his teacher's attention.

"Andre! Does your partner have any objections to working solo? Actually, who is your partner?"

Sinjin meekly rose his hand, unable to really say anything, possibly out of fright given the Jade and Rex encounter that took place only moments earlier.

"Sinjin, do you have any problems with Andre working with Jade as opposed to you?"

Sinjin shook his head, to which Andre did a silent gesture of joy, knowing that he didn't have to work with him and instead could work with Jade.

Sikowitz didn't seem to notice the gesture and instead just turned from Sinjin to Jade, "Jade, does that work for you? Rather than Rex, you'll have Andre as your partner?"

"That's fine with me," Jade said, her seeming to have gone to a complete calm. Even seated next to her, Tori couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the Goth, amazed at how quickly she could go from being friendly to lashing out at Robbie to going back to completely chill. It was both impressive and at the same time, terrifying.

"Alright then. I expect you to get him up to speed as quickly as you can so that you two can get ready. Time is limited after all." Sikowitz looked around the room, seeming to have forgotten who he assigned to everyone as partners. The last thing he wanted was to call on someone and then happen to call on their partner immediately afterwards. "Beck, how is your project coming along?"

Tori gulped, worried about how Beck was going to respond. It was highly unlikely that he was going to say that they hadn't gotten anything done, but more what worried her was how much he was going to stretch the truth, if not outright lie about their work.

"Smooth. We're pretty much done with it," Beck said with a straight face, not giving the slightest indication that he was lying.

Tori wanted to slap Beck for his remarks. _Pretty much done. The heck are you thinking Beck? Yeah, we're pretty much done, other than the fact that Tori and I haven't even met to get started on it. But other than that we're good!_

"Good! So you two will be ready to perform first for us?" Sikowitz said, slightly surprised himself at how confidently Beck spoke. He certainly wasn't one to forgo the significance of the project and how much their grade would be based on it, so to speak as surely as he was, he had to assume Beck was being earnest.

Beck simply smiled at Sikowitz, "Absolutely." He waited until Sikowitz had turned his attention to the other students before he shot a look at Tori, seeing the utter terror on Tori's face. He imagined that Tori must have been furious with him, but he simply flashed her a smile, one that might have been a bit cocky, but at the same time one that was confident. Tori was nonetheless worried, and rightfully so.

"Robbie, how about you and Cat? How is your project coming along?"

Robbie had a concerned look on his face, like a child when they are caught in a tough situation, trying to come up with a response. "Ugh, it's coming along."

"Pfft, Cat's part is coming along you mean, Mr. I Keep Stuttering All My Lines," Rex remarked, which caused a few of the students in the class to snicker.

Sikowitz motioned with his hands to quiet the rest of the class, "Well you still have time, though not too much!"

The rest of the class pretty much went as such, Sikowitz going over more things as they related to the project, much of which seemed to hold little weight to Tori. For the most part, all that she could focus on was the fact that not only had Beck lied and said that they were making tons of progress on their project, but also had volunteered them to go first! She wasn't exactly comfortable going last, but now, now everyone was going to know what they were doing, what sort of emotion and feeling the scene was supposed to carry, and they were going to see how unprepared she would be.

 _Damn it Beck… Damn it…_

By the time that the final bell rung, everyone was quick to get up and leave, though Tori was even more motivated to get out than the rest of the class, to which some people were a bit surprised by. The reason though was apparent enough when she saw Beck exit out of Sikowitz's class, to which she grabbed hold of him and pulled him away, causing Jade to give her a look of wonder, almost wanting to go and see what they were doing.

In what seemed like an instant, Tori had taken hold of him and practically shoved him against a wall, to which elicited a small laugh from him. "I didn't know this was what you were into Tori! I think Jade might get a little jealous though…"

Tori wasn't amused. If there were ever a moment that she was more angry at Beck, she couldn't think of it. It was quite likely that right now, this was the moment that she found herself most infuriated at him. "The hell were you thinking?"

"What do you mean?"

Tori couldn't believe that he didn't see the issue with what he said. "What do I mean? I mean what was going through your head that made you think it was a good idea to lie to Sikowitz and say that we would be ready to perform first!?"

"Because…"

"Because? Really? That's your reasoning," Tori seemed to almost be on the verge of freaking out, a part of her actually wanting to hit Beck, but at the same time a part of her wanting to just break down in a complete panic.

The feeling of a pair of arms on her shoulders helped snap her back into reality, lifting her head up to see the friendly smile on Beck's face. "Trust me Tor. You and I are going to be fine. Remember that package you got last night, how excited you were when you opened up the envelope and saw it? When you realized what it meant? There's a reason why you got that. Because you've worked and earned it. You've shown that you are capable."

Tori seemed to quickly calm down as she listened to Beck speak. It was remarkable really, how he seemed to be a natural inspirational speaker. _If acting doesn't work out for him, for whatever reason of course, he's got a perfect backup as a motivational speaker._

Beck smiled again as he pat Tori on the head, the icing on the cake to making her relaxed again. "Trust me. We'll be fine."

"Are you two done with your little partner moment?" Jade called out as she walked towards the two of them. She leaned forward and gave Beck a kiss after which she pat Tori on the forehead, causing her to blush. No doubt Jade was going to bring that head pat up again in the future; after all, it was too entertaining not too! "We ready to go?"

He nodded, "Yeah." Before he left with Jade though, Beck turned to Tori, flashing her one last smile, "Just remember, we'll be fine." With that, he left with Jade.

Tori stood there in the hallway for a few more seconds before departing herself. _I just want college to get here now! Blind auditions, ridiculous projects, being pat on the head. The sooner I'm out of here, the better._

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	18. The Audition

**Chapter 18. The Audition**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Black Box Theatre - February 24th,** **Senior Year**

 **...**

Friday.

On one hand, it was a welcome gift for the student body; an opportunity for them to escape from the challenges and expectations of what their teachers obligated of them, if only for a short while. On the other, for those with obligations, it was as stressful, as tense of a situation as one could have made it or as events might have deemed it. And in Tori's case, it only seemed that the longer she sat in the chair just outside the door to the Black Box Theatre the more panicked she got.

"What's taking them so long?" She whined, feeling as nervous as she was feeling impatient, undoubtedly more of the latter than that of the former. No matter how she was feeling though, she knew that as soon as her name was called and she was to step through that door, she'd have to calm it. Immediately.

Fortunately for her, she wasn't alone in her moment of insecurity. Sitting beside her – or more specifically leaning against the wall as there were only a single chair set up for those waiting – Andre played on his phone, in no immediate rush to go anywhere. And even if he did have plans, the fact was that this was something that Tori had been both hyped for and fixated on, almost to an unhealthy degree based on what Beck had described to him. Whether it was just Beck sensationalizing the story or not, no doubt him being there would be at least some positive impact to Tori, if only with regards to support.

"Do you think they forgot about me?" Tori asked, her voice sounding timid, starting to genuinely think that she had simply been forgotten about. _Maybe they found enough people and they don't need me anymore. Maybe they saw my name and decided just to not let me try out? Oh God, who do they have judging this? Did they see my name and determine that I had no business trying out? Is Helen one of the judges? Oh I hope not…_

"Tori. I'm sure that that's not the case. Chances are, what's really going on is that they saw your name on the list and then realized, "Oh crap, it's Tori Vega, one of the best voices in all of Hollywood Arts. Why should even bother having to put her through the strain of a tryout when we can just drop one of the other people who we might have added and just replace them." He grunted in frustration as he seemed to lose at whatever game he was playing on on his phone, putting it away and hoping to forget about it. "They're probably going through trying to find the least impressive act to remove."

Tori smiled at Andre's suggestion, as much hoping that it wasn't true, only because she hoped that someone who did perform well enough to perform in the Showcase wouldn't end up losing their spot. "You don't think that that would actually happen now? Do you?" She was actually a bit worried that it could have been a possibility in the end. She had no idea what to expect of this Showcase. Only just a little over a month ago she hadn't even heard of the Senior Showcase, so her hoping to make any claim that she knew what to expect would be nothing more than a lie.

Andre shook his head, "I doubt it. I mean, what if they did that and people found out? Can you imagine the backlash that they would endure? The amount of hell they'd be have to deal with?"

Tori rose her eyebrows in surprise. Never really had she considered that, not just as it pertained to the Senior Showcase but more to the greater effect of the school and the way things went here. As so much of all the students' grades were dictated based on things like performing in places and showcases, if the school said that a person wasn't good enough to perform or should have been replaced, it was the biggest condemnation of their ability. And how would a school that prided itself on students becoming performers be able to get away with saying that students were rejected from being able to perform?

It would ruin all the credibility and respect that people had towards Hollywood Arts.

"I guess you're right…" She leaned back in the seat, her head gently pressing against the hard wall. And as weird as it might have been, there was something rather calm about just leaning back, being able to pretend that there wasn't anything she had to worry about. _Just imagine it's a pillow. Maybe that'll help make the waiting more bearable._ She was optimistic that that would work, that even just a temporary moment of silence would help calm her down and make it seem like it wouldn't take as long to finally get her name called.

And yet after a few minutes it felt like no time at all had passed, only dragged on and on and on.

"Ugh! Andre!" She whined once again, loud enough though that whomever might have been on the other side of the door could have heard her too.

Her companion who have broken down and returned to the game on his phone almost jumped at Tori's yell, ultimately getting up to his feet. Looking at the Latina, the worried expression on her face, he couldn't help but be concerned about how long it was that it seemed to have been taking. He wasn't entirely certain how long they had been waiting at this point, but he assumed a half hour at the very least. Taking a quick glance at his phone, he saw that he wasn't all that far off on his assumption.

"Hold on one sec," He began as he put his ears to the small window on the door. Unfortunately whomever was in there had taken the liberty of covering their side of the window with paper, making it impossible for anyone to peek inside. He hoped that he might have heard something, ideally someone talking, just something to indicate that there were people there.

Nothing.

He tried to open the door. It was locked. "The hell?"

He tried to pull at the door knob again, not caring whether or not that the door was locked. If it called for it, he was willing to knock it down.

After struggling for a few seconds, he took a few steps back, Tori being only able to look at him with slightly defeated eyes. _He couldn't do it… I guess I'm not going to sing…_ Then Andre rushed at the door, slamming the entire weight of his body against the door, a loud bang resonating through the hallway as the wood met his shoulder. Like a basketball, he bounced off the wall, now holding his shoulder as he silently cried out in pain.

"That probably wasn't the best idea…"

Tori, managing to ignore the fact that she seemed to have been forgotten in her audition for a brief moment, rushed over towards her friend, hoping that he hadn't done any serious damage. "Andre! What were you thinking?" She looked at his shoulder, one hand gripping it tightly while the other tensed up every couple of seconds, making an open and closed fist. "Are you OK?"

Andre winced a smile and nodded his head. His shoulder was killing him right now, but better not to give Tori another reason to be worried. "I'm good! Don't worry about it Tor." Almost immediately, he moved back to where he had been originally been, taking another seat on the ground beside the chair parked next to the door.

She couldn't help but look at him for a moment, not believing for a moment that he wasn't in pain. _He didn't have to do that… It's not that important. Not enough for him to do that to himself…_

She was about ready to just give up on the whole thing and leave him, perhaps drive him to a massage therapist or something, maybe make sure that there wasn't any serious injury. As she was about to suggest that they leave, the sound of the door knob turning caused both of them to turn their heads in anticipation for who might be there.

"What in the world was that? A bull running through the hallway!?" Sikowitz yelled out as he peaked his head from within the small crack in the door. Tori and Andre couldn't help but stare in surprise that he was there.

"Sikowitz! What're you doing here? I thought that only people who had their auditions were supposed to be there." Andre stated, confused to why their teacher would be there. It didn't hit him until after he had asked the question that the possibility he could have been a judge occurred.

"What are you doing here?" Sikowitz countered, holding his nose up similar to how a child would when insulting another.

"Waiting here with Tori," Andre said, the pain that traveled through his shoulder seeming to actually dissipate away, at least within his own mind.

Sikowitz turned his head towards Tori, still keeping the majority of his body shielded from within the confines of the nearly-closed door. "And just what were you two doing that prompted, I suppose Andre here, to… What did you do to the door Andre?"

"I ran into it hoping it'd open the door," Andre responded, all of a sudden tightly gripping his shoulder again as pain rippled through it.

Tori finally spoke at this point, a bit confused and at the same time hopeful that this meant she could finally get a chance to audition. "He was just keeping me company. See, I was supposed to have an audition, but we've been waiting here for like what's seeming like forever…"

Sikowitz's eyes widened up. "Wait just a moment. You're auditioning!?"

Tori nodded. She actually sort of found herself offended at the notion that Sikowitz wouldn't expect her to audition for a chance to perform. After all, from school plays to concerts at the school to the Platinum Music Awards, Tori wasn't afraid of having to go up on stage when the spotlights were focused in. So the fact that her auditioning seemed to come as a shock to him, it had her a little worried, not only about how he might have thought of her but also about his own mental health.

"Oh thank goodness!" Sikowitz bellowed out as he suddenly kicked open the door entirely, causing Tori to scream out in panic as she managed to narrowly avoid being struck by the door's motion herself. "We've had students coming in all day auditioning and throughout it I couldn't believe that they had been written in to perform but that somehow either your name wasn't there or we had missed you." He walked into the room, motioning for Tori to follow.

Tori looked at Andre for a moment, not sure exactly if she should have left him there or not, so without any clear direction she just repeated Sikowitz's earlier motion, beckoning for him to follow her as she followed the teacher. In almost no time, Sikowitz had taken a seat again as he quietly scurried through a number of papers that were laid out before him, finally finding one he was looking for and passing it over towards the other gentleman.

Neither Tori nor Andre could put their fingers onto who the man might have been, but just looking at him side by side to Sikowitz, it was night and day. Sikowitz was in his usual attire, eccentric, multiple articles of clothing that might have stolen your focus, pretty much like that of a hobo. On the other hand, the man who was seated beside Sikowitz looked like a professional. A nice suit, appearing to be tailored, a dress shirt beneath that, even having a bow-tie. He looked more like a businessman or some important CEO than that of any music critic. A record executive maybe? Doubtful, but with Sikowitz, you could never know entirely.

There was an eerie silence that seemed to fill the room as Tori proceeded onto the stage area while Andre took a seat in the back, perhaps hoping that the two judges didn't notice that he had walked in. As Tori adjusted the mic stand, Sikowitz whispered something that neither she nor Andre could make out. Then his voice boomed throughout the Black Box Theatre, "So, this is Tori Vega! One of Hollywood Arts' most impressive students."

Tori blushed at Sikowitz's praise. It wasn't often that she had a teacher, and a veteran teacher at that, giving her that great of praise, particularly to someone who for all she knew was someone very important. Similarly though, it only seemed to build the pressure greater onto her. What was she going to do if she didn't perform well? How was this person going to think of her? How would Sikowitz feel, given his apparently prized student didn't live up to his expectations?

She closed her mind, hoping to eliminate all of those thoughts, instead just focusing purely on the music. She was there to perform. This was the only thing standing between her and the Senior Showcase, and she wasn't ready to break down now. She simply stood there on the stage, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement. It could have been a simple nodding of the head, a wave of a hand, anything really, just to ensure that the two at the table were fully focused on her.

"Alright Tori. As you can plainly see, not exactly a huge thing we have going on right now. Is there anything you need us to get for you before audition? A keyboard? Guitar? Props?" Sikowitz wasn't kidding. Other than the microphone stand, the stage was utterly bare. _I guess they're really focusing on talent, not the bells and whistles._

Tori shook her head. Granted, a piano wouldn't hurt, but she wasn't by any stretch an expert at playing. And until she had any reason to suspect that Andre had managed to get in other than he happened to slip past Sikowitz and his companion, she had to assume that they'd be responsible for playing any instruments added.

Sikowitz nodded, taking a look at his companion who responded with a nod himself. At that, he smiled at Tori, "Alright Tori. Whenever you're ready!"

Tori stood at the mic for a few seconds, mentally composing herself. She closed her eyes, even just the briefest moment of blackness being enough to clear her head. She began.

 _On the first page of our story, t_ _he future seemed so bright._

 _Then this thing turned out so evil,_ _I don't know why I'm still surprised._

 _Even angels have their wicked schemes a_ _nd you take that to new extremes._

 _But you'll always be my hero e_ _ven though you've lost your mind._

She opened her eyes, the first thing she happened to notice being Andre, having moved a few rows up so that he was now directly between where Sikowitz and his companion sat, a smile of confidence on his face.

 _Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, b_ _ut that's all right because I like the way it hurts._

 _Just gonna stand there and hear me cry, b_ _ut that's all right because I love the way you lie._

 _I love the way you lie._ _Ohhh, I love the way you lie._

Within her head, the piano accompanying her played on, the empty seats that coated the majority of the Black Box Theatre instead being filled by the spectators and fans within her mind.

 _Now there's gravel in our voices, g_ _lass is shattered from the fight._

 _In this tug of war you'll always win, e_ _ven when I'm right._

 _'Cause you feed me fables from your head w_ _ith violent words and empty threats._

 _And it's sick that all these battles a_ _re what keeps me satisfied.  
_

 _Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, b_ _ut that's all right because I like the way it hurts._

 _Just gonna stand there and hear me cry, b_ _ut that's all right because I love the way you lie._

 _So maybe I'm a masochist._

 _I try to run, but I don't wanna ever leave,_

 _'Till the walls are going up i_ _n smoke with all our memories._

She backed away from the mic, feeling a rush of confidence and joy run through her. _God did it feel good to perform, even if it's just for Sikowitz and that other guy._ It was true, the last time that she had gotten a chance to really sing for or with anyone – outside of those who were in her circle – was sometime last year. Which in itself, it felt almost wrong, dirty even, that as one of Hollywood Arts' more capable singers, she hadn't been more engaged, which she regretted herself.

"Excellent!" Sikowitz remarked as he stood from his seat, clapping enthusiastically, as did the well-dressed man. If there were any reason for her to worry that she wouldn't have lived up to the hype that Sikowitz had sold her as being, hopefully she had dispelled any doubts. Certainly in their eyes at least.

"Well done Ms. Vega," the well-dressed man remarked, his voice being surprisingly high in contrast to his larger overall size. Tori would have suspected the man having a deeper voice, so she found herself unable to hide her surprise, raising her eyebrows as the man spoke.

"Thank you!" She said quickly, hoping that the acknowledgement and thanks would distract him from Tori's surprise. _Way to go Tori. Guy gives you a compliment and you come within an inch of saying something stupid about how the guy's voice._ She hoped that the man didn't notice.

Sikowitz sat back in his seat, gathering up a number of files that still lay scattered on the table and arranging them in a neat pile. "Well, we have a bit of work to do with going through today's audition. I do want to apologize for keeping you waiting earlier."

"When will we find out who's performing?" Tori asked, still riding her performance high.

"I think we have a pretty clear idea as to who we'll be selecting," Sikowitz turned towards his companion who nodded in agreement. "If anything, it might be the arrangement for the Showcase that takes the greater amount of our time, but if it comes to it, we can make that announcement at a later date. Until then, you're good to go!"

"Alright…" Tori almost didn't want to leave, feeling like she had earned getting a spot in the Showcase and just wanting to hear confirmation at this point. But she also knew that Sikowitz, for as often as there were times when you could trick him or press him for information or what he might have been thinking, when it came to these shows it was all but impossible. So, rather than waste any time, Tori began making her way out, hoping to catch a quick glance at the papers that had been organized, but not able to see anything more than Sikowitz's poor handwriting. "Have a good weekend Mr. Sikowitz!"

He didn't even turn his head back towards them, instead just remaining fixated on the papers he had, "You too Tori! And Andre!"

Tori and Andre almost froze in surprise at the fact that Sikowitz did in fact know that Andre was there. That he didn't make any remark about it, was it because he wanted to make Andre feel nervous? Make Tori feel nervous? Did he just not care? It was tough to say entirely, but the two simply sighed and exchanged mischievous smiles. _And here I thought Andre was being all sneaky and stuff. If that were me, I totally wouldn't be caught!_

As the two of them left and the doors to the Black Box Theatre closed, Sikowitz finally turned his head around, making sure that the two students had left. He turned towards his companion, "So, that was her. What'd you think?"

The well-dressed man looked down at the piece of paper that he had been scribbling on himself, "You weren't kidding. She's good."

"Bet you're excited now aren't you?"

The man smirked, "Well, I'll just say that I'd be walking away from here very disappointed if things went differently, that's for damn sure."

Sikowitz nodded in agreement, "Well, you're in luck then!"

* * *

 **...**

 **In Tori's Car**

 **...**

"So, where we going?" Andre asked, now playing with the radio of Tori's car, going from station to station, finding nothing to suit his fancy.

"What do you mean," Tori responded with a question of her own. She figured it was pretty simple. She was going to her house. Andre was free to walk back to his house if he didn't want to come over.

"Well I mean, I was figuring that we could go get something to eat or something?" Andre suggested. Tori wasn't entirely surprised; often Andre had ulterior motives, and food was no exception.

"That depends…"

Andre looked at Tori with doggy eyes. Taunting a hungry man with the possibility of food was a cruel way of playing. And the fact that Tori wasn't afraid to be consciously vague on important matters like this was just plain cruel. "Depends!? Depends on what?"

Tori had a wicked smirk on her face as she turned to see the look of despair on Andre's, "You're going to pay for your own food this time, right?"

Andre was left speechless, really in amazement that Tori wanted him to pay for his own meal. "Tori, I don't think you understand the severity of what you ask. You expect that myself, as your closest friend and closest confident, that I be forced to pay for my own meal!? That's… I don't even know what that is…"

 _What a drama queen!_ Tori laughed. "I know Andre, people paying for their own food, it's such a foreign concept!"

 _I'm a rockstar  
Hey baby_

 _I'm a rockstar  
_ _Hey baby_

"Oh, that's my phone! Andre, you think you can check that for me?" Tori asked, knowing better than to check her phone, even when not on the highways.

"I guess I can…" Andre said, wanting to give Tori grief over having to pay for his own meal, but having her miss a call just out of spite would be distasteful. He quickly took a look at the phone placed within the cup holder, "It's your dad."

"Crap…" Tori burst out. She had neglected to tell her dad that she had her audition today, so no doubt he was worried that she was purposely avoiding coming home. "Ugh, can you answer it and put it on speaker?"

"Hello?" David Vega's voice filled the car. It sounded different from what she was expecting. Not angry, but concerned.

"Hey Dad! I'm driving with Andre right now so I have you on speaker. Look, sorry for not being home yet. I had-"

"Tori, I need you to listen!"

To say the least, Tori was surprised that she was interrupted. Really, her not being home wasn't as big of a deal as he was making it out to be. Sure, she should have called earlier, but there was no reason for him to get all serious cop-dad on her. "Look, dad, I'm know I should-"

"Tori!" Again, he interrupted her, but this time, combined with the other times now that he had spoken, it was clear that he was distraught. What about though, Tori wasn't sure.

"Tori… Your mom… Your mom's in the hospital…"

* * *

 **A/N:** **The song Tori sang was "Love the Way You Lie, Part 2" by Rihanna.**


	19. Sacrifices

**Chapter 19. Sacrifices**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **In Tori's Car - February 24th, Senior Year**

 **...**

"Damn it! Why can't this thing go any faster?" Tori yelled out as she slammed her hands against the steering wheel.

It felt like time moved slowly, everything which was taking place outside of the car moving at even slower than a snail's pace. Meanwhile, within the car Tori couldn't help but feel like that for every second that passed was really an hour or greater.

No doubt due to what little information there seemed to have been at the moment. All Tori knew was that her mother was in the hospital, and judging by her dad's voice, it seemed that he didn't even for sure either. _He wouldn't keep something like that secret from me! No way!_ Keeping information about Trina from her was one thing, but to alienate her to such an extent that could possibly justify keeping such a secret about her mother, Tori didn't even want to imagine it being possible.

"It'll be OK Tori," Andre said halfheartedly. It almost felt wrong, reassuring her given a situation like this, particularly the fact that there seemed to have been so many unknown variables. For all anyone knew at this point, she could have been assaulted, shot, who knows entirely what it might have been. And it was for that reason that it was so imperative that he remain the voice of reassurance for her. It'd be irresponsible of him not to be, "We're almost there!"

That was perhaps the lone benefit to being within Los Angeles, the fact that in spite of it being such a huge city, everything was pretty much close enough that there were no needs for lengthy, half hour drives in order just to get to the hospital. Just in the area where Tori and Andre lived there were several different medical buildings, and none of the drives to them being particularly long. And much like as Andre said, it were only a short time – perhaps no more than several minutes – that the large white building that was Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center came into view.

"Finally!" Tori exclaimed, her voice being as week as it was gratified to be there.

As the two of them got closer, a haunting realization came to Tori, causing her to look utterly defeated. Where was she going to park her car? Unfortunately, this hospital was not particularly well known for being very accommodating, least of all when it came to finding a reliable place to park. In fact it was due to complaints surrounding parking that the local government found themselves being forced to approve the construction of an additional parking center last year. But with construction not expected to be done until the end of next year, the interest and convenience that it would offer then was useless for Tori.

"What are we going to do Andre?" Tori said as she slowly drove through the roundabout just before the entrance to the hospital, getting off of it on the path that directed towards the almost-always packed parking unit that already existed, rather than the one that the ambulances favored which led to the front doors. "It's going to take forever to find somewhere to park…" She lowered her head onto the steering wheel in frustration, "Ugh, I don't have time for this."

It was then a light went off in Andre's head. "Stop the car!"

Tori lifted her head up with a confused look on her face. _Is he really asking me to stop the car right now? Like what is he thinking?_

"Seriously Tori, stop the car!"

After the second request, she did, but with reluctance. It didn't make sense what Andre was insisting, but the absolute last thing she was interested in was his games. "What? Can't really stop here Andre! You realize that right!?"

"Yes. Yes I do," Andre said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the passenger door. "Which is why you get out of the car and go find your dad."

Tori was left speechless at what Andre was offering. He would endure the turmoil and headache that was trying to park, not only saving her from it but giving her the chance to actually do what was important; making sure her mom was alright. She could feel the beginning of tears forming, tears of appreciation for Andre.

She wanted to thank him, but couldn't find the words.

Andre simply smiled as he walked around the car and opened the driver's side door, "Go! Make sure your mom is alright! I'll be there once I've found somewhere to park."

She unbuckled her seatbelt and sprang up, ready to bolt towards the front door, but not before grabbing hold of Andre and pulling him into a tight stranglehold, squeezing the life out of him. "Thank you," she said underneath her breath.

"Anytime Tori," Andre quietly said as he got into the front seat and drove off, leaving Tori in the street for a moment before she herself bolted towards the hospital entrance.

* * *

 **…**

 **Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center**

 **…**

She had never actually been inside this hospital before. She had driven past it what seemed like hundreds of times before, but being in there, especially under these circumstances, had a very wrong feeling to them.

"Dad? Dad?" She called out blindly, unsure if her dad was even on this floor. Really, she had no clue whatsoever, only that this was the hospital that her mom had been taken to.

"Tori?" The sound of her dad's voice was perhaps the most reassuring thing that she could have asked for at the moment, hastily looking around until she was the tall figure quickly moving towards her. "Tori! Oh, thank God you got here so quick," David Vega remarked as he gripped Tori into a tight hug of his own.

Tori pulled back from her father's grip and looked up, seeing the distraught look on his face. No doubt the look on her face wasn't much more reassuring, probably as worried if not more so. "What happened to mom?"

"I don't know yet. I only arrived a couple of minutes ago myself." It was certainly believable. While she hadn't paid much attention at first, having a look, she realized that her dad was dressed formally, like he had been at work and just arrived – as he described it – only moments earlier.

To a degree, Tori wished that that wasn't what her dad had said. A part of her wanted him to just be able to tell her everything that happened; otherwise the uncertainty and mystery added more worrying than what she wanted.

"Mr. Vega?" An unfamiliar voice called out, which immediately caused both David and Tori to look around, their focus both aligning to that of a moderately short man, perhaps no taller than Tori, wearing a white doctor's coat. As he moved closer, the name "Franklin Long, MD" embroidered on his lab coat. "Excuse me, but are you Mr. Vega?"

David didn't even bother trying to hide how worried he was, it being apparently not only by how his face looked but also by the tone of his voice. "Yes, that's me. Please, what can you tell me? Is my wife alright?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Vega," The way he spoke seemed to only indicate bad news, which Tori was already dreading. "Your wife suffered a seizure a short time ago. At the moment she's currently sedated."

"Oh God…" Tori blurted out, her legs seeming to give out as she practically fell to the ground, landing on her knees. David quickly lowered himself to help Tori back up, though even with him supporting her, her legs felt weak, like it was requiring all of her strength just to keep her standing.

"A seizure? That… That must be a mistake…" David stammered, finding it difficult to believe himself. In the years that they had been married, never had Holly displayed any warning signs of having seizures. She wasn't epileptic nor had she suffered any head trauma that may have induced one.

"A 911 call placed stated symptoms that are directly attributable to a seizure. But, and before we can move forward with our options, there are other concerns which we have regarding your wife."

"Other concerns? What do you mean other concerns?"

"When a patient is admitted, be it due to a seizure or otherwise, we administer a number of blood tests. To help us determine any potential causes, concerns, ailments that they might be suffering from."

David nodded, not being unfamiliar with hospital procedure himself. "I'm aware of that."

"Well, as we ran tests, we found that your wife's magnesium levels were extremely low. Noteworthy, but by itself not indicative of anything." He paused for a moment before continuing, "But other tests indicated as well that she had a significantly high ASL/ALT ratio, which was quite concerning."

Tori blinked a few times, completely lost by what Dr. Long was saying. Low magnesium levels, ASL/ALT ratio? She hoped that he would elaborate on this, and ideally soon, because she had no idea what was going on at this point.

"We ran a MRI..." It was apparent just by the pause he was taking that what Dr. Long was hinting at was the more serious concern that he had. "Scans showed that your wife had, well for lack of a better term, a fatty liver. Given these results and the scan, I'm left with no other explanation than I believe your wife is suffering the effects of chronic alcohol abuse…"

David's eyes widened at this. Alcohol abuse? That seemed extreme. "That's… No, no my wife isn't suffering from _chronic_ alcohol abuse. I mean, she hasn't touched a drink in almost a month, and even before then, she wasn't…" He wasn't dismissing the fact that immediately following Trina's guilty plea Holly had begun drinking heavily, but his time in the LAPD had given him a clear indication of what alcohol abuse looked like, and it wasn't what Holly had endured.

Tori on the other hand was left stunned at what Dr. Long had said. _Alcohol abuse? She was doing that to herself… And I just let it happen… What have I done?_

"Mr. Vega, I am not speaking abuse in a short period. Unless she had been chugging gallons of moonshine, I doubt that her enzyme levels of liver damage would be as apparent as they are right now."

"You're saying long term abuse then? That… that can't be possible."

"That's precisely what I'm saying. I would say over at least the past eight to ten months. Possibly even earlier than that."

 _Ten months? It's February now… So, that'd be April. But, there's nothing that'd…_ Tori's heart sank at the realization of what might have prompted it. And as she looked at her dad's face, she could see that he had come to the same conclusion.

When he had kicked Trina out…

If what Dr. Long was saying was to be believed, then she had been drinking since then. But how? Other than back in January, Tori really hadn't seen her mom drinking heavily. _Wait, was she hiding it from us? Oh God… How could we have not have seen this? Oh God… we failed her…_

While both of them stood there stunned, it was Dr. Long who brought David at least back to reality. "Mr. Vega, I do not mean to rush matters, but I do believe that we need to move forward on how best to proceed. Seizures are typically resulting from withdrawal and I need to ask you a few questions on that."

"I… I didn't even know that it was this bad," David sounded broken, defeated. "How could I tell if she was in withdrawal?"

"Tell me, in the past several days, have you noticed anything that was unusual? Sweating? Shaky hands? Headaches? Vomiting? Anything?"

"She was throwing up a bit a couple of nights ago. And Wednesday she was complaining about a headache… That's all."

"So, fair to say then that she's probably been in withdrawal for a few days now. I'm concerned though with her seizure and the timing. That she suffered one while detoxing, I'm worried that it might get worse before it gets better."

Tori's eyes widened at hearing this. What could be worse than what was going on already? _What does he mean? If she's trying to quit, then it should just be that she'll be good once she gets over it? Right?_

"What do you mean?"

Dr. Long slid his hands into the pockets of his coat, "Delirium tremens… Rare, but can occur in situations like what your wife is undergoing. Withdrawal following prolonged abuse. And if so, we need to discuss treatment as soon as possible.

For what seemed like the first time in however long, Tori finally felt like she could speak, but with what Dr. Long was talking about, it didn't sound very reassuring. "But my mom is going to OK though? Right?"

"It's a serious condition, and in some cases, delirium tremens can be fatal." Hearing that, that what her mom may have suffering through could end up being fatal, it just made Tori want to throw up. "However though, I'm confident that we've caught it quickly enough and I believe your mom will be alright."

His words seemed to breathe life back into Tori, as it seemed to as well with David Vega. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he looked like his old self, "Alright Dr. Long. What do you propose then?"

"A combination of IV therapy and Benzodiazepines. Administering the drugs in smaller doses over a longer period of time. It should be noted though that this will require us to admit her into the ICU."

"Are there no other alternatives?"

"If the abuse had been for a shorter period and we had a better idea as far as how she was undergoing her withdrawal symptoms, I would perhaps be more optimistic. However, if it is the DTs, we can't afford to take that risk. Also, there is something else I want you to consider."

David and Tori both looked at Dr. Long, unsure of what else it was that he was hoping of them. Wasn't it enough that Tori's mother was going to be admitted to undergo treatment for a condition that they weren't even aware that she was suffering from? David spoke, "What?"

"Now, please know that I propose this with a heavy heart. But I would like to suggest that for the duration of her treatment as well as during the duration of her detox that we place your wife in a medically induced coma."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Tori barked out, not sure entirely how she should have felt that that was being considered, but knowing that she should have been mad. _That can't be necessary! There's gotta be a different option!_

"As I said, I don't throw out that option lightly or without taking into consideration feelings regarding it. I bring it up though with the hopes of best ensuring that her treatment goes accordingly. Beyond the psychological and physical tolls that a person undergoing detox goes through, we must also consider potential risks associated with DTs, if that is what she has. Restlessness, irritability, possibly more seizures, delirium, things which may potentially compromise her treatment or otherwise put herself or other medical personnel at risk."

While Tori was steadfast in being against the option, David did not seem as much. Perhaps it was his work as a detective that gave him a sounder mind, but even then, he couldn't help but agree to an extent with his daughter. But he also recognized where Dr. Long was coming from. "If we were to go that route, to put her under…"

Tori seemed to completely blanket out what her dad and the doctor were talking about at this point. She couldn't even entirely say that she was angry at her dad for considering it. She thought it was a terrible idea, but she also hated the idea of seeing her mother in a hospital bed, suffering all the while too. _Either we put her in a coma or she gets to go through hell? It's a lose-lose however we look at it… But, as long as she comes out of it alright. That's what matters…_

By the time she came back to reality, the doctor and her dad seemed to have concluded their conversation or were just nearing the end of it as after a few more minutes, the doctor began to walk away, leaving Tori and her dad alone.

David turned towards his daughter and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, giving her a weak smile as she gave him one of her own, though it did little to detract from the fact that she was holding back tears. "Listen Tori, I don't like the idea of it either, but the last thing I want is to have your mom suffering. Trust me, I have seen people detox and it's an agonizing sight. The last thing I would want to put you or your mom through is having to endure that. You understand that, right?"

Tori nodded her head, at a loss for words. _I guess he's going to go forward with that…_

Her father could still tell though that something was wrong, that she was hiding something from him. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

She lowered her head to the ground, finding it tougher and tougher to keep a straight face. "No," she said weakly.

David gave a weak smile himself. He knew there was something she was keeping to herself, and in spite of how much he hoped that she would say what it was, he wasn't going to push her. Certainly not now, as this was neither the time nor the place to cause her to be any further distraught. If she wanted to confide in him, he trusted her enough to come to him. After all, she was an adult now, and even though he still was his little girl, she had already displayed her maturity times before, this would be no exception.

He lifted his eyes and noticed Andre Harris entering through the front doors of the hospital, Tori's keys in his hand. "They'll be moving your mom into the Intensive Care Unit soon. When I find out the room number, I'll let you know, alright?" With that, he kissed Tori's forehead and then left her alone, knowing that right now she could use a friend.

Tori simply stood there, effectively paralyzed until she felt a tap on her shoulder, turning around to see Andre standing right behind her. With everything that had happened since she had gotten out of her car earlier, to see him there was a huge relief. Just like earlier, she found herself bringing him into a tight hug, but unlike the previous times, her grip released almost immediately, which Andre couldn't help but notice himself.

That along with the tears and Tori's sobs.

Andre tightened his grip around her in response, as much supporting her upright as much as he was just being there for her. He hadn't heard a thing that had Tori and her dad might have discussed, and even as he felt his phone blow up with texts of concern from their circle of friends, right now the only thing that he felt he could do was to be there for her, to hold her, to let her cry until she could no longer. It wouldn't matter if his shirt ended up coming out of this soaked; It would a sacrifice he'd have no problem making (albeit a very small one), and given everything that Tori had been through up to this point and whatever it was that this might have been now too, it was one that he would make again a hundred times over for her.

"It's alright Tori… You just cry, as long as you need to…"

* * *

 **A/N: As far as the medical information goes, I tried to be as accurate and thorough as possible with them, though there may be some inaccuracies to it. Just bear that in mind.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	20. Not Your Fault

**Chapter 20. Not Your Fault**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Asphalt Cafe - February 27th, Senior Year**

 **...**

It was hard to entirely describe the mood felt all around come Monday. The word ineffable might have perfectly personified the day, how everyone was feeling. Incapable of being expressed or described in words; much like how everyone was feeling throughout the day. The events of Friday, how they had trickled on and only managed to further linger on and on, they had taken their toll on everyone.

But it would be wrong to say that the events of the weekend had taken more of a toll on them than it had on Tori Vega.

Andre had seen it firsthand, how Tori had so quickly gone from being on top of the world to an emotional wreck. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was there and present to listen to Tori's father's initial phone call, he wouldn't have believed that anything could have caused such a heavy shift in her personality. And as he pieced together what exactly happened over the course of Friday, he couldn't believe that Tori had managed to hold herself together as well as she was. If it had been him in Tori's position, the last thing he'd think he would want would be people that could have possibly found out what happened.

But for as strong as he regarded her for being on that day, he wasn't ignorant. She was in pain, and while she might have accepted – or perhaps even appreciated – Andre's company, it wasn't his place to be there. What she was going through, the situation with her mother, it would be a disservice if Andre incorporated himself into it as a third-party. Even as he prepared to leave, when he gave her a final hug of support, he could see it in her eyes how much she wanted to go to her mother.

And that was where she had stayed. All throughout the weekend.

Even now, as time progressed and classes moved along, none of their group had seen Tori up to that point.

As they met up for lunch, they hoped that they'd see Tori waiting for them or perhaps arriving to join them, but that was just wishful thinking.

"Damn! Did your classes get out early or am I just really slow at walking?" Andre remarked as he took a seat at the crowded table. He had waited behind in his previous class to leave Tori a quick voicemail. A short one, perhaps no longer than thirty seconds long or so, but when looking at everyone at the table with their food already, he couldn't help but think either time slowed down for him or was speeding up around him.

Beck took a bite from his slice of pizza, frowning as he could feel a small stream of grease trail down the crust, onto his hand, and down his wrist. Putting down the pizza in disgust, he shot Andre a sarcastic smile, "Classes out early? That's to each their own. Mine? No. As for you walking slow? I think that's probably true."

Andre shook his head slightly at Beck's remark. One could credit his ability to twist his words and basically make it sound as condescending and sarcastic as one might interpret it to be, all the while seeming to tiptoe around a direct answer to questions. That said, seeing him react with as much disdain as he did to the orange grease that was running down his arm made it worth it, "Karma's a bitch ain't it?"

Going through his own napkins and having to take several of Cat's and Jade's napkins, Beck threw the lot into a small pile that accumulated on top of his discarded pizza. "You know, sometimes I feel like I'd be doing my body more of a favor if I just starve myself rather than eat the stuff they give us."

"Not a fan?" Robbie asked innocently as he chewed away at his salad. He had managed to pretty much ignore the near entirety of the exchange between Beck and Andre, as well as Becks' reaction to the pizza grease.

"Look at that," Beck insisted as he pointed towards the collection of napkins atop the slice of pizza. "All that grease, what's the difference between that and me drinking some oil right from my car?"

Andre and Robbie exchanged glances for a moment before turning back towards Beck. "Granted, the pizza is by no means by top quality, but I doubt it's _that_ bad," Andre retorted.

Beck shook his head, "It's nasty man."

Jade silently chuckled to herself as she watched Beck's minor freak-out. It was moments like this that she enjoyed the most, partially because his overreactions made her look like the more mature and sensible one of the two. "As much as I hate to admit this, maybe you're just overreacting slightly on this." This drew a number of surprised looks and even a gasp or two from the group. "I mean, I don't get me wrong. That pizza is nasty, but most of the food that they sell here is pretty much garbage."

And while Jade's first remark drew shock from the group, her comments about the food was pretty much met with nods and mumbled affirmations and agreements. After that, there were several minutes of silence, during which Beck got up and hoped to get something that was actually edible rather than layered in grease. It wasn't until he had gotten back to the table with a small salad that Cat finally broke the silence, asking the question that was on everyone's mind. "So… has anyone spoken with Tori?"

Everyone's eyes darted back and forth, hoping to see something, be it a hand raising, a nod of the head, just something to confirm that they had spoken with her. Even Andre – who seemed the most likely to have spoken with Tori during either Saturday or Sunday – was mum on the matter. "Oh," the disappointment in Cat's voice was apparent. "I hope everything's OK."

"Sikowitz is expecting her and you to perform your scene today." Robbie said as he tossed his fork into the now empty salad container before him, focusing directly on Beck. "What're you going to do?"

Jade sighed as she glared right at Robbie. She knew that he asked in sincerity and not intending for it to come off as uncaring, but it still felt a bit distasteful nonetheless.

Beck wasn't as offended by what Robbie had asked as Jade had been. When he had confidently boasted about him and Tori being ready to perform their scene, never had he figured this into the calculation. On one hand, whenever Tori did return to school, Sikowitz was expecting them to do it today, so there'll be no time to allow for them to further prepare. Then there was the fact that whenever Tori would be back at Hollywood Arts, who was to say what kind of mindset she'd be in. It'd be tough to imagine that she would be able to simply shut away her feelings without a hitch. "When Andre texted me what happened, I shot Sikowitz an email." A few raised heads caused him to raise his hands, calming everyone before they lashed out at him, "Don't worry, I didn't say what happened. I just said that Tori had an emergency and because of that, I couldn't say for certain when she'd be in class again."

"I don't mean to downplay the significance of what she's going through, but it isn't as though she's suffering from a terminal virus herself. I mean, she can come to school again," Andre said, being careful of his wording. He didn't want to dismiss the pain and hardship that Tori was going through, but at the same time, he didn't want to oversell it as people in Hollywood Arts seemed to do when a tragedy struck.

"I don't expect her to be out all that long either," Beck agreed. "That said, she hasn't been here up to this point yet, so I doubt things'll change in the next hour or so to prove me wrong."

"So, did Sikowitz say anything to you after you emailed him?" Robbie asked.

Beck sighed and stretched his shoulders, "He said he understood." Everyone leaned in as if they were expecting Beck to continue with a 'But…', to which he didn't disappoint, "But, he said that given last week, I'm still expected to put on a show."

"How you planning on doing that without Tori? I mean, she's the one who's been practicing with you. Is he just planning on having you give a monologue or something," Andre asked, intrigued at what he might have meant. But it wasn't just for his own knowledge that he was curious. The fact was, if Sikowitz was going to change things around at the last second, Tori would be as much impacted by all of it, and undoubtedly in the negative.

"I feel like that'd be almost too easy. Like a trap that he would set up on purpose for me to fail."

Cat had a look of horror on her face, terrified of the notion that Sikowitz would try to set a student up, no less one a premier student like Beck. "He wouldn't do that! Would he?"

The group sat in silence for a moment as they collectively thought about that, if the eccentric teacher might have at any point or possibly could have conspired or otherwise come up with a scheme designed to embarrass or otherwise intentionally sabotage one of the top students.

Beck groaned, "I really _really_ hope that I don't get a monologue…"

* * *

 **...**

 **Sikowitz's Classroom**

 **...**

By the time ninth period arrived, the group had all but become convinced that Tori was not going to show up, Beck having to come to terms with the reality that he was going to be condemned to whatever sort of penalty or challenge that Sikowitz was going to throw at him.

 _Perhaps he'll just forget about what I said last week. Hell, maybe he'll just forget about the presentations altogether. He's got so much stuff going on, totally conceivable he'd forget._

The notion that Sikowitz might forget about the presentations today was completely disproven when they walked into his classroom. A movable desk was laid out just before the small stage, a large television set mounted on it. Behind it, and more importantly separating everything on the stage and those in the crowd, there were a large white screen, similar to what hospital rooms used to separate adjourning patients. Sikowitz was nowhere in sight.

A loud sound echoed through the classroom, causing the seated students to jump in slight surprise, "Well class! It's the day we've all been waiting for, now isn't it!?" A shadow became apparent against the other side of the sheet, moving closer towards the end of it, disappearing as Sikowitz revealed more of himself with a wide smile on his face. The lacking of any reactions from the class quickly turned his excitement into disappointment, "Well you don't seem very excited. Today's a special day! Can anyone guess what today is?"

Cat immediately shot her hand in the air, not even bothering to wait for Sikowitz to actually acknowledge her, "Your birthday!?"

Sikowitz sighed. "No Cat. It's not my birthday."

A frown appeared on Cat's face in response, "Was it yesterday?"

"No Cat. It wasn't over the weekend. Nor was it was over the previous weekend. Or the weekend before that. Trust me, when it is my birthday, I will let you know."

Cat cheered at this, almost jumping out of her seat entirely, "Yay!"

" No, today is the day that we begin to dissect just how good of an actor or actress you really are. The day which I know some of you must be excited for, or terrified of." He paused for a moment, smiling as he looked at Beck, seated calmly in his chair, "Depending of course on how much you prepared. Isn't that right Beck?"

Beck smiled, knowing that Sikowitz forgetting about what he said was a wishful thought and highly unlikely. That said, Sikowitz was probably assuming that with Tori gone, Beck would be nervous. He would be disappointed, "Hey, I'm ready to go. Remember?"

"Yes Beck, yes I do remember. I'm just glad that you remembered too. It'd be horribly awkward if you had forgotten, after all."

Robbie chimed in, out of nowhere, "Like a sitcom scenario!"

Andre shot an inquisitive glance at Robbie, "Which one?"

Jade rolled her eyes, "Maybe one that's actually funny and not complete garbage."

Andre frowned. When it came to delivering subtle jabs at either him or Robbie, Jade was on point, and now was no exception. "Damn Jade, not giving much room to work with, are we?"

Sikowitz rose his hands up, hoping to regain control of his classroom, lest their conversation go on and on for the entirety of the period. "Children! Please, back to the topic at hand. You are all free to talk about whatever today's Seinfeld is after class."

"Seinfeld sucks!" Someone yelled out from the back part of the classroom, which Sikowitz ignored.

"But right now, we're to begin our presentations. Now, if you all recall, I told you that these were scenes that left an impact with the viewer, scenes that while they might not be the ones that are immortalized by the critics, they are the ones that speak to us. When you watch these films, chances are these are some of the first scenes that come to mind." He shot a glance at Beck again, "Beck, you ready?

Although he was ready for the scene he had been assigned with Tori, there was still the question as to what he was going to do. "Uh, Sikowitz, you remember the email I sent you on Friday?"

"Yes, I remember seeing it."

Beck rolled his hands, hoping to draw more out of the teacher, but stopped shortly after trying in the first place, "You expect me to do it solo?"

"Or like a monologue?" Jade contributed, not really paying too much heed to the dismay Beck showed at lunch about having to do a monologue. _He'd be fine._

Beck was less than amused, hissing at Jade, "Shut it..."

"Now now, don't worry Beck, I won't be giving you a monologue. I'm not that cruel," Even though he said that, the smirk on his face told otherwise.

"Thank God..." Beck sighed with relief as he leaned back in his chair. It didn't matter what Sikowitz threw at him now, just knowing that it wasn't going to be a monologue.

"No, instead I've decided to change things up, a little last minute change, which while I first thought was a bit cruel, it dawned on me that these are things that can happen. An actor can get hurt, have a tragedy befall them, or otherwise someone else comes in. A good actor must be ready to perform a scene at a moment's notice, as well as be able to adapt to a change in casting."

Andre took a gulp, quickly gathering there was a point to what Sikowitz was saying, "I don't like where this is going."

"Which is why I've decided that while you will be performing today Beck, you won't be performing the scene originally assigned to you."

"What?" Cat said with confusion. _He can do that?_

Jade rose an eyebrow in surprise as much as dissatisfaction, "You're giving him something new, right before he has to go on? The hell?"

Andre found himself shifting his focus between Sikowitz and Beck, thoroughly surprised. "That's messed up…"

Sikowitz smiled, not at all surprised by the shocked reactions he was receiving. "Now now, don't worry Beck. It won't be as foreign as you might think it'll be."

Cat still had a perplexed look on her face, "So now he's doing a scene from a foreign film!? Since when can Beck speak a different language?" It was something that she had never considered, if any of their group could speak a different language. Maybe Beck was fluent in French or German and they never knew it.

Robbie leaned towards Cat, gently patting on her on the head, "No, not a foreign film as in one from France or Spain."

"Oh..." Cat said, the disappointment being apparent in her voice.

Sikowitz nodded in agreement to Robbie's explanation. "Exactly Rob. Instead of your scene Beck, I've decided to switch you and Jade in your respective scenes."

"What!?" Jade's eyes widened up in complete surprise at this. Assigning her boyfriend a new scene was one thing, but now penalizing Jade too by having her switch was something else entirely.

Sikowitz frowned, figuring that what he said was simple enough to understand, certainly at least by who many suspected would end up being Hollywood Arts' next valedictorian. "Jade, you'll be performing with Tori in the scene that was originally supposed to be Beck and Tori. And Beck, you will be performing Jade's role which was meant to have been between you and Andre."

Andre found himself wild-eyed at this revelation now, "So wait, I'm performing first then?"

"Yes. Yes you are Andre! Congratulations!"

Cat clapped her hands with glee, not realizing Andre's disappointment. "Congrats Andre!"

"Damn it Beck..." Andre cursed under his breathe, quiet enough for Sikowitz not to hear.

Robbie paused for a moment before raising his hand himself, "Wait, how are they supposed to perform each other's' scene if we weren't supposed to tell anyone what scene we were doing."

Sikowitz had a large smirk on his face, looking almost like he was about to break out in laughter, "Oh please. The two of them? No way that they don't know each other's' scene. Am I wrong Jade? Beck?"

Jade leaned back in her chair and rolled her eyes, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You two won't be in trouble, don't worry."

She shrugged her shoulders, "We might have helped each other with practicing a little bit."

"How much is a little?" Andre asked, calmer than what he was moments ago, particularly because now it seemed like Jade was in the hot seat as opposed to him.

"Not that much," Beck said nonchalantly. The tone he spoke with made it tough to tell if he was simply being dismissive or hiding something.

Robbie wasn't convinced. "You two probably know the entire scenes don't you?"

"Really, we didn't practice as much as you guys think."

Cat joined in, it not being clear if she didn't believe Beck or was just agreeing with Robbie, "They totally did!"

Although he did enjoy watching the class become divided on those who either believed Beck and Jade conspired together or those who didn't, Sikowitz wasn't in a position to waste more time than already has been. "Well, the two of you, let's just say I'd be more shocked if you two didn't know. And, seeing as I've had the two of you for the past few years, well I'm just going to go with past experience in this. You have a problem with this Beck?"

Beck shook his head, "No, not really."

"Andre? Any objections?"

Andre shrugged, knowing his opinion wasn't going to sway Sikowitz much, if at all. "I feel like I should be worried about this, but nah, I think I'm good."

Sikowitz clapped his hands with joy, curious to see if Beck was all talk or not. "Excellent, so, you two will be going first. And then afterwards, we'll have-" He stopped as he watched the door to his classroom open, but open quietly as to not disturb anyone in the class. What he wasn't expecting though was the person stepping through the door. "Well, look how it is!"

Cat was among the first to turn their heads, her eyes widening with joy as she hopped out of her seat, rushing towards the Latina who just walked in. "Tori!"

Almost immediately, Tori found herself besieged by Cat and company, all of them immediately inundating her with questions, ranging from if she was alright, why she bothered showing up for just the last period of the day, to what the status of her mother was. Though she was grateful for the concern, it was a bit too much. She rose her hands up, hoping to calm them, if even for a brief moment, "Hey guys…"

She sounded a bit weak. Definitely tired.

Andre had to have suspected that while she was at the hospital that she got very little sleep, if at all. And if she had been home at all, it wasn't likely either that she got much there. "What are you doing here Tori?"

Tori was slightly taken aback by Andre's question. Not offended, but confused. _Did everyone all of a sudden forget Beck boasting about how prepared we were?_ Looking at the TV monitor and the curtain, she doubted that the presentations were being put off. "What do you mean? Me and Beck have our scene today. Don't you remember?"

"Not anymore," Beck said stoically.

"Not anymore? What are you talking about?" Now Tori was thoroughly confused. After getting her all panicked and worried about their project, now all of a sudden they weren't? _Oh God… Did Beck do something that got me kicked off? Did Sikowitz assume that I was skipping class and decided to just fail me outright!?_ Her mind raced as worst case scenarios filled her head.

Beck found himself disappointed now, mostly at the fact that in spite of getting in touch with Sikowitz, he had neglected to contact Tori at all, to at the very least inform her that Sikowitz had a general idea of her predicament. _I figured she wanted some space, never occurred to give her an update to the project… Good going Beck…_

"So, am I without a partner now?" Tori asked, panic now starting to set in. _If I knew that this was coming, I should have just stayed home._

"Don't worry Vega. You still got one," Jade coolly remarked, patting the Latina on the shoulder.

It took several seconds for Tori to realize just what Jade meant. "Wait, you mean _you_ are my partner!?"

Jade gave her a wicked smirk, one that as much taunted as it did gloat, "Have a problem with that?"

Tori very quickly shook her head, "Not at all!" She very quickly turned towards Beck, "No offense."

Beck smiled, "None taken."

"Well, I'm glad that you opted to arrive in class today, considering everything. As your friends have said, things have been changed a little bit in the wake of things," Sikowitz said as he ushered everyone back to their seats, Tori taking a seat next to Jade. "I know that you were expecting to perform first, but with the changes, we're actually going to have Beck and Andre-"

"Actually, Sikowitz. I was wondering if Jade and I could go first."

Tori's request took everyone by surprise, Jade, Sikowitz, and Beck especially. Jade gently tapped Tori on the shoulder, making sure that she wasn't running on autopilot from lack of sleep. "Are you sure Vega? We don't have to go first. We can just sit it out today."

Tori turned her head, looking right at Jade's eyes, "I'm sure. I just wanna get this done."

Jade stared at Tori for a moment, the two of them having what resembled that of a battle of wills. After a little bit, Jade turned to Sikowitz, "I know today's "Let's Make Beck Squirm as Much as Possible" Day, but do you think we can just get our scene done first?"

Sikowitz looked conflicted, no doubt wanting to see if Beck was prepared or not, but just looking at Tori, he could see how adamant she was about wanting to go first, her eyes simply locked on Sikowitz as he thought about it. He sighed, "Fair enough. You two have five minutes to compose yourself, gather your props, whatever you might need to do. Just, do it on the other side of the curtains."

Tori and Jade said nothing, just instead getting up and walking around the sheet to the stage. There was an eeriness to it, being cut off from the rest of the class, the two of them waiting around as Sikowitz told the class the movie that they had been assigned, Good Will Hunting. They could hear him go on and on about the relevance of the scene, the emotion that carries through it, and after a minute or two, they could hear the actual audio from the scene. The scene that Tori had watched time and time again, soaking in every little detail that she could, hoping that it would make up for her and Beck's limited practice time.

Tori stood there for a moment, listening in to the audio as she played the scene another time in her head. Jade in the meanwhile was searching the stage, hoping to locate a folder or something, almost cheering aloud as she pulled out one that contained some papers or another. _Eh, he won't care if it's for a different class_ , Jade rationalized as she moved back towards Tori at the center stage. She gave the girl a final look, "You OK Vega?"

Tori swallowed before she turned to Jade, nodding. The incredible confidence that Tori had shown in the past wasn't there, but she seemed more like herself than what Jade had seen of her in the past couple of weeks. "Yeah!"

"And with that, from the film Good Will Hunting, Tori Vega and Jade West!"

As the curtain parted, Tori imagined herself in the film, imagining Jade as Robin Williams' character. The audience, Sikowitz, none of them existed, at least for the moment. "What's that?"

Jade lifted the folder she was holding, dismissing it as quickly as she brought it to focus, "Oh. This is your file. I have to send it back to the Judge with my evaluation."

"You're not going to fail me are you?" She paused, "So what's it say?"

"You want to read it?"

"Have you had any experience with that?"

Jade nodded. "Twenty years of counseling you see a lot of—"

"No, I mean, have you had any experience with that?" She watched as Jade nodded in a defeated manner, "It sure ain't good."

Jade's tone was somber, depressing. To someone looking in, it was painfully convincing. "My dad used to make us walk down to the park and collect the sticks he was going to beat us with…."

Tori swallowed, "He used to just put a belt, a stick and a wrench on the kitchen table and say "choose.""

"Gotta go with the belt there..."

"I used to go with the wrench."

Jade perked up an eyebrow, "The wrench, why?"

A smile appeared on Tori's face, "Cause fuck him, that's why." This garnered a couple of weak laughs from some of the audience. "So what is it? Will has an attachment disorder? A fear of abandonment?" She sighed, "Is that why I broke up with Skylar?"

Jade up to that point had been alternating looks between Tori and the folder. Now, she was fixated entirely on Tori, "I didn't know you had. Do you want to talk about that?"

"No," Tori said as she shook her head.

"I don't know a lot, Will. But let me tell you one thing. All this history, this shit..." Jade tossed the folder aside, papers flying across the stage. "This is not your fault."

Tori nodded, "Yeah, I know."

Jade moved closer towards Tori, focusing intensely on her, "Look here, son. It's not your fault."

"I know." Tori carried on with the scene, but even she couldn't help but notice the increased intensity coming from Jade.

"It's not your fault."

"I know."

"No, no you don't. It's not your fault." Jade wasn't relenting, her lines being delivered more believably with every word spoken.

It was starting to get to Tori, her becoming the more uneasy the longer their scene went on for, "I know."

Jade stood no more than a foot from Tori at this point, looking right at her, "It's not your fault."

Something snapped inside Tori, causing her to push Jade back, not just because the scene called for it, but for a different reason that she couldn't quite explain. "Don't fuck with me."

 _Just a little bit more…_ Even in spite of it being a bit more than what she expected from Tori, Jade just recovered the distance between them. "It's not your fault."

Tears had already begun to form in Tori's eyes before then, but at that point, the Latina felt like she couldn't control herself anymore. She couldn't hold them back as she broke down in tears.

But it wasn't just the scene. It was the message that Jade was trying to tell her; the one that she had just managed to piece together herself. Yes, Jade was a great actress, but right now, it wasn't her performing a scene. It was Jade speaking to Tori, having a heart to heart and conveying it through their lines.

And as Tori cried, they felt different. They weren't tears of pain, but rather tears of joy, of happiness…

Because for the first time in what seemed like forever, since she had blamed herself for what happened to Trina, Tori had reason to believe that it wasn't her fault. That everything that had happened wasn't because of her.

She felt Jade's grip tighten, hearing her just barely mutter "It's not your fault Tori," over and over again.

 _Thank you Jade… Thank you so much…_

* * *

 **A/N: T** **he scene performed by Tori and Jade was the "It's Not Your Fault" scene from Good Will Hunting (with a few lines removed).**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	21. Branching Paths

**Chapter 21. Branching Paths**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **In Andre's Car - March 24th, Senior Year**

 **...**

"Where are we going?"

It had been the first question that he asked them, and not once had either of them given Robbie any sort of acknowledge, nor any indication that they themselves knew where they were going.

"You'll see," Beck casually remarked from the seat directly in front of where Robbie sat. The violent vibration of his seat caused him to lean forward slightly in discomfort, "But if you keep kicking my damn seat then we'll shove you in the trunk 'til we get there."

A gasp was heard, "You wouldn't!"

Beck adjusted himself as he turned to face behind his seat, "You wanna bet?"

Andre, laughing to himself throughout this exchange, patted Beck on the shoulder to calm him down. "Relax bro. It won't be much that much longer Robbie, so don't worry." He shot a brief glance at the rearview mirror to ensure that Beck hadn't gotten a stray shot off on him. _No marks. Good thing._

"Sorry…" Robbie began, stammering a bit over his words, intimidated slightly over Beck's threat. Unlike Jade who was direct and clear when she was serious or not, Beck was much harder to read. "Just, it'd be a lot more comforting if you guys could give me some indication of where we're heading. Doesn't even have to be the exact place or anything. Just I feel like you guys are taking me out to the desert just to abandon me there…"

Andre couldn't help but laugh aloud at Robbie's concern. He doubted that Robbie actually believed as much, but still found it humorous nonetheless. "That all depends. Did you happen to notice Beck engaging in a super shady drug deal and he catch you? Maybe watch him off some dude?"

There was a moment of silence which for a moment actually Andre concerned that might have been true beyond just him making a joke. "No…" Robbie said, his voice sounding a little unsure himself.

Beck was less assumed than Andre was from it, punching Andre's shoulder in defiance. "Why do I have to be the criminal drug cartel guy?"

Andre smirked, "Because if it were me, you can guarantee that I would have thrown Robbie into the trunk at the beginning."

"So, does that mean I can take this blindfold off then?"

Andre and Beck exchanged glances for a second or two, not too long for Andre to lose focus on his driving, before Beck called out to the backseat, "Eh, not just yet. A little bit longer."

Perhaps that was what Robbie found the most uneasy about the whole thing; it wasn't the fact that they had grabbed him, basically kidnapping him and then going off to drive somewhere unknown, but it was the fact that they had insisted that he keep a blindfold on during the entire trip. _What was so important that I can't see? What if they're driving me somewhere just so Jade can destroy Rex!? Wait, that can't be… My house is locked… What if Jade broke the lock!?_ Robbie swallowed in panic as images of Rex being ripped into a hundred small pieces flooded his head.

"So uh, Beck… Where's Jade?"

Beck lowered his side's window, letting the air flow freely as he breathed in the LA air. "Told me that she's meeting up with Cat. Think they're going to do something with Tori before the movie tonight."

Robbie breathed a sigh of relief. If she was actually out with Cat, it wasn't likely that Jade would be breaking into Robbie's house. At least, he hoped so.

"What time is the movie anyways," Andre asked.

"6:30 if I remember correctly," Robbie stated, looking blankly out the window even though the blindfold was still on.

After that, there was a semi-long period of silence in the car, Andre continuing to drive, Beck continuing to lean his head out the window like that of a dog, and Robbie sitting in the back, becoming more familiar and used to wearing the blindfold. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the car began to slow down, eventually coming to a complete stop. "Alright, we're here," Andre remarked as he undid his seatbelt, Beck following suit and Robbie right along with him. "Just make sure you keep that blindfold on until we tell you otherwise."

Robbie reluctantly agreed, unable to help but be worried that having him keeping the blindfold on was a mistake. What if he were to open his door too much and scrape against another car? No, Andre surely had to have considered that beforehand; even he wouldn't be that stupid. He could feel a pair of hands on his shoulders, effectively guiding him – and quite a distances away from the car as he mentally counted the steps taken. He heard Beck's voice, "Alright Rob, you can take it off now."

Robbie quickly removed it, hoping that he would find some sort of party, maybe an incredible present. Heck, even lunch would be fine, all things considered. It turned out to be none of them.

Andre shifted focus between Robbie and what he was looking at, his face of excitement, "Well… What do you think?"

"Impressive, isn't it?" Beck remarked.

Robbie was confused. _This was what they wanted to show me? Seriously? This was it?_ He wasn't sure what Andre and Beck were hoping to achieve out of this, what their goal was in bringing him here. "You guys brought me to a gym?"

"Not just a gym, but the best one in town!" Andre proudly stated, "Just got done with renovations too!"

Robbie didn't see the appeal that it had on Andre or Beck. It was just a gym. Nothing special about it. "OK. But that still doesn't answer my question. _Why_ did you guys bring me to a gym?"

"Because," Andre casually remarked, speaking as though there wasn't any explanation necessary.

Robbie wasn't willing to let the topic die there, "Because?"

"Not a fan of the gym?" Beck asked, hoping to achieve more than what Andre's answers were aimed at.

"No, it's not that... It's just… Well I'm not exactly a gym person."

Beck snickered, "Rob. I'm not sure you noticed or not, but none of us are gym people."

Robbie rose his hands in protest, hoping his remark didn't offend Beck, "I didn't mean anything by that! Just, why? Why all of sudden there being a need to drag me to a gym?"

Beck patted Robbie on the shoulder, the force of which almost causing the glasses to fall from Robbie's face, "Because buddy, we're gonna make you big."

"Why?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Andre asked, it being so vague that Robbie couldn't help but shrug his shoulders. He sighed and explained more in depth, "Because, what do you think'll happen when you arrive in New York and they find out that you're a scrawny noodle from Los Angeles. There? They're going to jump on the chance to grab your girl right from under you."

Robbie was a bit confused, not sure exactly what Andre was saying though very quickly it seemed that a lightbulb went off in his head. "New York? My… Wait…" His eyes widened as he came to the realization of what they were talking about. "How did you guys find out!?"

Beck smirked as he began to lead Robbie inside, Andre following right behind, "How do you think?"

* * *

 **...**

 **Starbucks**

 **...**

Cat kicked her feet underneath the table, making sure to avoid not only the metal bar that held the table up, but also to avoid Jade, seated across from her. "Where's Tori?"

Jade took a sip from her coffee and shrugged, "You got me Cat. I told her when we'd be here. If she's not here by now, maybe she's… sleeping I guess?"

Cat opened her mouth in surprise. "Still!? But it's," she quickly glanced at her phone, unsure herself of what time it was, "It's almost noon!"

Jade thought for a moment before taking another sip of coffee. _If Vega's going to keep us waiting this long, she's paying for my next cup!_ "Let's give it a couple more minutes. I would hope that she's on her way here, but if she doesn't show up soon, we'll head to her house."

Cat smiled. "OK! So Jade, have you decided where you're going to college yet?"

Jade sighed. Although Cat asked an innocent enough question, it was far more complicated than she probably realized. It wasn't an issue of if she got accepted to any colleges; she had been accepted to pretty much every place that she applied to, with the few exceptions being ones that she hasn't heard back from yet. But just because she had been accepted, didn't mean that any of them particularly thrilled her, "Haven't given it much thought really, no."

"Really!? Not a single one!? But you've had like, twenty schools accept you!" Cat bellowed out, perhaps more surprised by Jade's nonchalant attitude than just her answer alone.

"How do you know that?" Jade asked as she rose an eyebrow in response.

Cat found herself frozen. She was so curious about where Jade might have been going, she neglected the fact that she didn't find out about those schools from Jade. "Uh… I might have seen a list of where you got accepted to when I went to see Mr. Alexander…"

"Well… That's actually not as bad as I might have suspected," Jade chuckled as she took another sip from her coffee. _If Tori doesn't get here soon, she's buying me my next cup!_ "I was thinking that you had been stalking my mailman or something like that."

"What!? No, I would never do that…" Cat sarcastically said, feigning a face that as much showed ignorance as it did general dismissal. _The thought had crossed my mind though…_

Jade smirked as she finished the last bit of her coffee, a frown appearing on her face as she felt the last few drops touch her tongue. "What about you Cat? You've been pretty mum about where you're looking to go, or even what schools you've been looking at. Spill it out."

Cat simply smiled, aiming to look as innocent as possible while at the same time doing her best to evade Jade's question. It wasn't so much that she didn't want to tell her; on the contrary, she did want to tell her, but she would have to wait. Wait at least until Tori arrived. As she put her cup down, she noticed Jade's eyes hadn't parted their focus away from her; she watched like a snake ready to pounce on its prey. This only made Cat feel all the more uneasy, "Tori knows to come here right? Not my house or your house?"

Jade practically kept the same face, the only difference between the slight twirling of the corners of her lips. "Yes Cat, I called her this morning. She didn't pick up, naturally."

"But if she didn't pick up, how can you be sure that she knows?"

A faint smile appeared on Jade's face, "Because I left a voicemail telling her to meet me and Cat at Starbucks by 11:30, which apparently means noon for her or something."

While she was confident that Jade did leave a voice mail, she worried all the while that Tori might not see it. Speaking from her own experience at least, Cat was terrible when it came to voicemails. There were times in the past that she had allowed as many as a dozen voicemails to build up on her phone. "But… what if she doesn't check her voicemails? Or what if she waits for like a month before finally getting around to them?"

"Well Cat, for one thing, she isn't you." Jade chuckled very slightly as Cat frowned in disappointment. More, Cat was disappointed because she pretty much walked into that one. "And secondly, Vega's probably one of the most anal-retentive people when it comes to stuff on her phone. Who else do we know that actively organizes her contact list based on who she has class with or used to?"

Cat shrugged, unable to argue differently. "Fair enough. I just hope she gets here soon…"

"Me too…" Jade nodded, as much annoyed by the fact that Tori was late as the fact that it was obvious that Cat wasn't going to say anything as far as her college search was going until she did get here. As she was about to get up and order another cup of coffee, a figure walking into the coffee shop caught her eye. "Well, speak of the devil!"

Cat turned around, hopeful of who Jade might have been talking about, and her eyes widened with joy as she rushed out of her seat to wrap the unsuspecting Latina within a tight bear hug, "Tori! You finally arrived!"

Tori grimaced slightly as she could feel Cat's arms compressing tighter and tighter into her chest, "Hey Cat… Think you can… think you can loosen?"

The redhead quickly realized herself how tightly she was gripping Tori and immediately retracted her arms, almost immediately wanting to bring them back around her to apologize. At the last moment she stopped herself, "Sorry Tori… Just, well we thought that you weren't going to show up."

"Yeah. You know it's common curtesy to at the very least send a text or something saying that you might be late," Jade said half-sarcastically, giving Tori a gentle hug herself, being mindful of the vice grip she had been in only moments earlier.

Tori looked hurt at Jade's remark. "But I did send you a text…" She sounded serious, even a bit defensive, which caught Jade off guard.

Jade responded with a sarcastic glance of her own. If she had gotten a text, surely she would have known. But Tori's face did not change, nor did she give any impression that she was kidding. "You sent me a text and I didn't notice? There's no way…" To prove her point to Tori, she pulled out her phone, ready to show her the messages she had gotten in the last day, none of which would be Tori's.

Then she saw that her phone said '1 New Message'.

Skeptical, she looked at the message. _Must have been from Beck or something. Probably forgot what time the movie is tonight…_

 **Checking out some songs for the Showcase. Should be there by noon – Tori**

"Well shit… I guess you did…" Jade closed her phone, in disbelief of the fact that she had completely missed Tori's text. A text that she had sent more than an hour earlier. "Sorry about that Vega. How 'bout I buy you a cup and then Cat can stop teasing me with her college plans?"

The disappointed look on Tori's face had progressively eroded away, starting with Jade acknowledging she was wrong to a being completely gone with this olive branch being offered. "Sure!"

"Wait!" As the two started for the barista, Cat joined them, freely tossing herself onto the shoulders of Tori and Jade, both of them having to brace themselves to keep themselves and Cat upright and not falling to the ground. "Seeing as Tori being late wasn't actually Tori's fault for being late but instead your fault for not letting me know that we were supposed to meet later which was actually on time which meant that we were early, I think it's only fair that you buy me a cup as well Jade!"

Tori gave Cat a blank look, confused by what the redhead had just said, but Jade had a wicked smile on hers. "Alright Cat… I'll buy you a cup of coffee. I'll even throw in a muffin or cookie!"

Cat's eyes lit up with excitement, "Really!?"

"If…"

And as quickly, the excitement disappeared. "If?"

Jade shot a quick glance at Tori and then smirked at Cat, "If you tell us, right here, right now, where you're going to college."

Tori's eyes widened at this, not only because Jade was pretty much bribing Cat to have her disclose her secret, but also because it was a pretty huge mystery to her. For Tori, anyone could tell that UCLA was her first and foremost choice. Jade, she could have gone pretty much anywhere she would have liked. Cat, it was a complete mystery. _She has good grades, I think. She's a great singer, so if it's a place that calls for an audition, she's all but guaranteed to get in._

Cat looked conflicted, her eyes switching between Jade and the sweets displayed on the other side of the counter's glass window. _I want one! But I don't like it when Jade does this! It's never fair! But they look so good!_ Finally, she sighed in defeat. At the end of the day, sweets would always win out. "Fine…"

Tori and Jade leaned in, making sure that they heard clearly where she was going in the event that she tried to mumble a less than coherent answer to them.

"I'm going to…" A look of pride and accomplishment appeared on her face, "NYU!"

* * *

 **...**

 **Hollywood Strength & Fitness**

 **...**

"You know, you really can't fault Cat for telling him," Beck remarked as he and Robbie ran along neighboring treadmills. Andre sat on one of the weightlifting machines just a couple of feet from them, sweating like crazy. "If anything, it's your fault for telling Cat!"

Robbie looked like the definition of fatigue, his hair and the shirt he was wearing both completely drenched in sweat. The fact that he was still able to stand without collapsing was a minor miracle in itself. That he was still able to run along a treadmill and maintain a conversation with Beck and Andre, an act of God. "She said that she didn't want anyone to spill the beans that she got accepted. I figured that that meant that she would be as diligent in keeping me a secret too!"

"I hardly think that she did it out of spite," Beck said as he increased the elevation of his treadmill slightly, figuring that it wouldn't be that much more demanding.

"Exactly. She was probably more just excited for you!" Andre hopped on the closest treadmill and began to run again with them, almost immediately looking like fatigue and exhaustion had again set in after just a few steps. "I mean, NYU is a tough as hell school to get into," he said, hastily altering the speed of his machine to a much lower level.

As exhaustion began to overtake Andre, it had finally caught up with Robbie, causing him to turn his machine off entirely as he sat down right on the machine, paying little regard for the small pool of sweat that was left there. "Are you saying that it's a surprise that I got in but not for her?" He asked, it being tough to tell if he was insulted or just extremely tired. Possibly both.

Almost immediately after, Andre found himself mirroring Robbie's actions, turning his machine off – even in spite of the lower level he was running on – but opting to take a seat on the same machine he was seated moments earlier. "I don't mean it like that. Just, she has singing that she can back on. So even if she doesn't have grades like Jade, she can still kill an audition. While I can't speak to this personally, I just have a bit of a tough time imagining that NYU would be as… what's the word? Excited for mimes as Hollywood Arts."

Beck, having been working to no only keep up with their conversation but also keep running at a quick pace, hadn't even noticed that the two of them had stopped. Finally once he turned his head did he notice he was the only person still running, "When'd you guys stop?" Powering down his machine, he held a hand out to help lift Robbie who now had collapsed in exhaustion. "Don't mind him. It's hell of an accomplish, getting accepted there."

"Exactly. I don't mean anything negative by what I said. It's just, I don't know, there's just something that seems a bit odd, Robbie Shapiro, going to New York University. I just wouldn't have pictured you going there is all," Andre remarked as he tossed a couple of water bottles to the two of them. One of the nicest things about the gym being reopened was how aggressively they were hoping people would return, and not charging for bottled water was certainly a nice gesture.

In what slightly surprised both Beck and Andre, Robbie managed to catch the bottle one handed, effortlessly at that. Robbie felt a rush of confidence as he basked in their awe, only for it to quickly dissolve away as he struggled to screw off the cap, trying several times before he handed the bottle to Beck to open. "To tell you guys the truth, it wasn't at all my first choice. Heck, NYU wasn't even one of my considerations at first. Really, it wasn't until…well…"

Andre leaned forward a bit, thinking he knew the rest of where Robbie was going. "Until Cat told you that she had applied there too?"

Beck quickly glanced from Andre to Robbie, not horribly surprised if that ended up being the truth. It was no secret that Robbie liked Cat. In reality most of their graduating class was probably knew or had general awareness that he liked her. Whether it was mutually felt, it was hard to say entirely, but some people who suspected as much. In fact, there were even a few who had made bets if the two would become a couple by the end of the school year.

For a moment, Robbie looked petrified, as if he had been turned into stone. He had hoped that people would have just assumed that it was just happenstance that the two of them were going to the same school. It was a mistake on his part for not figuring Andre to be a bit more conscious and aware of what was going on. There wasn't any point in trying to lie about it at this point, "Maybe…"

Beck rose an eyebrow, "Maybe?"

Andre lightly chuckled, "You mean yes, right?"

Robbie threw up his hands, disgruntled and annoyed by the prodding of the two. It wasn't all that important. "Yeah, sure. Fine. Happy now?"

Beck laughed a little bit himself before patting Robbie on the head, almost immediately regretting it as he felt the sweat from his hair drench his hands. "Just giving you a hard time Robbie, that's it," he said as he quickly wiped his hands off on a nearby towel. "I mean, I'm certainly not in a position to cast judgement. You got into a great college, you'll be going with the girl you like. You're basically the white Andre."

"Hey!" Andre barked out, not expecting Beck to make that sort of comment.

Robbie seemed similarly surprised, though for different reasons. "So does that mean then that he's the black Robbie?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Beck said as he casually dismissed the notion, knowing that Andre would hate that even more than Robbie being a white him. "I'm more just referring the fact that basically you both are doing the same thing if you really think about."

Andre vehemently shook his head in protest, "No way! In no way are the two even remotely similar."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Andre insisted.

Beck wasn't buying it, and by the looks of it, even Robbie had trouble believing what Andre was saying too. "You're telling me that Robbie's situation in no way whatsoever bears any resemblance to what's going on with you?" Beck pushed.

"Name one way that they're similar. Even one!"

"Well, Robbie is going to NYU because Cat's going there. And you're going to UCLA because Tori's going there."

It could have been the case. Andre had the musical background and talent to go to pretty much any music program in the United States, and while he wasn't by any means as enthralled at the prospect of going to UCLA as Tori was, why he wasn't pushing for more auditions elsewhere was a curious thing.

Andre was adamant that what Beck was assuming was wrong, "That's not it at all. UCLA has a great music program."

"So just coincidence then that the two of you happen to be going to the same college? No other possible reasoning behind it?" Beck was certain that Tori being accepted to UCLA was a hugely motivating factor for Andre, but he wanted to hear it from his friend's own mouth.

"Nope!" Andre coolly said, as much indicating to Beck that he wasn't going to continue on with the conversation as it did reaffirm to Beck that he was right.

Beck shrugged. It wasn't like it'd be something Andre would willingly admit anyways, so better off just letting it go. "So, what's next for Robbie boy?"

The three of them remained in place for a few moments, all of them deep in thought – Robbie perhaps in terror of what grueling exercise the other two might impose on him next. Finally, Andre broke the silence, snapping his fingers as a lightbulb went off in his head, "Bench press."

Beck nodded, "Sounds good." He turned to Robbie, "Ready for more fun?"

Robbie collapsed back onto the treadmill, already knowing he was going to hurt tomorrow.

* * *

 **...**

 **Starbucks**

 **...**

"NYU… I can't believe it…" Tori was at a loss for words. She was thrilled for Cat, beyond excited that she got accepted into such a great school. Though in the back of her mind, the idea that Cat would be across the country come September was a terrifying thought, one that broke her heart just thinking about it.

Jade was similarly surprised by Cat's announcement. Even now, after several minutes had passed and she had been able to digest it a bit more, she still had trouble believing it herself. "Me neither. I would have figured that you'd still at least be in California. I don't know, maybe Berkeley, USC-"

"Maybe even UCLA!" Tori interrupted. "Could you imagine that Cat!? We'd be roommates!"

"That would be awesome!" Cat exclaimed, almost panicking as she realized after the fact that she had come dangerously close to spilling her cup of coffee, over her phone no less! She almost immediately frowned afterwards, "Now I wish I had applied there instead."

Tori had a hurt look on her face, similar to the one she had given Jade only minutes earlier. "Don't say that Cat! You got into an amazing school!" She flashed the redhead a reassuring smile immediately afterwards, "You're going to have a blast there. You're going to be in New York!"

"I know! Oh, I'm so excited!" The seesawing of emotions was apparent; Cat being extremely excited and only moments later being forced to accept what that meant. "But being without you guys… I don't know how I'm going to survive…"

"Oh I wouldn't worry," Jade said as she took a sip from a cup of coffee on the table, utterly disgusted by the taste of it. "Oh God… That's nasty!" Looking at the side of the cup, she noticed "Tori" hastily written on the side of it. _What the hell Vega? Is that how you're always so perky in the morning?_

Tori turned the cup around and noticing her name, smiled at Jade and her exaggerated reaction. "Not a fan Jade?"

"What's in that!?"

"Coffee. Lots of cream, lots of sugar."

"OK Mr. Wolfe, you enjoy that then…" Jade sarcastically remarked as she pushed Tori's coffee closer towards her, wanting to be as far away from it as possible. Cat and Tori both laughed. Once the two of them stopped and Jade made sure to drink from her own cup, she looked at Tori inquisitively, "So Vega, you decide what you're going to sing for the Showcase?"

Tori grunted and dropped her head onto the table. After Sikowitz emailed all the Senior Showcase performers the order of performances a few weeks back, Tori immediately felt extra pressure being put on her. Mostly because she was being listed as the headline act. _The final act of the night, no pressure. None whatsoever!_ At the time of the auditions, she was confident that she could have pretty much performed any song without much consideration, but now it made selecting a song that much more difficult. And even after hours upon hours of looking for a song that most suited a headline act, she at a loss.

"I don't think she decided yet," Cat innocently remarked, gently patting Tori on the head.

Jade nodded in agreement, "I don't think so either."

In a rather comedic sequence of events, Tori lifted her head up, took a hearty sip from her heavily diluted coffee, and then immediately lowered her head back to its original position. Suddenly, a thought – albeit a random thought unrelated to the conversation at hand – came to her. She lifted her head again, "Wait. Jade, did you decide where you're going to college?"

Cat snickered a little at Tori's question. More than likely she didn't realize just how many schools she had been accepted to. "Jade decide? Every other day she's accepted to another college. She probably won't decide until the end of next month!"

Tori rose her eyebrows, due much in part to not just what Cat said, but how she said it. There was a seriousness to it, not just sarcasm. She snapped her head towards Jade, "Really? A lot of colleges? Which ones?"

Jade sighed. She wished that neither of them had asked because to her, it seemed like unnecessary bragging. "Well, there was Yale, USC, the New York Film Academy, the American Film Institute, Boston University, Chapman College, Emerson College. Uh, which other ones? Tulane I think. LSU, I think a few more besides those."

Tori and Cat were both stunned, mouths ajar in surprise.

"What?" That was exactly why Jade didn't want to talk about it, because of reactions like that.

"That's a lot of colleges," Cat remarked. Tori could only nod in agreement to that.

"It's a lot, but I don't know, something about them though that I'm not feeling," Jade said dismissively, not wanting to drag the conversation on any further.

Tori wasn't ready to let it drop though. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Just something about them, and I'll leave it at that." Jade said defiantly. It was plenty clear she was wanting to conversation to stop there, and though both Tori and Cat were still curious and wanting to push the issue, neither of them were in any mood to risk the consequences of angering Jade.

Tori simply nodded in compliance, "Well… Whichever one of those you end up going to, I'm sure you'll love it!"

Cat nodded enthusiastically in agreement, "Yeah! And no matter where you end up, we'll still be friends! No question!"

"Please Cat, I don't want to start thinking about being taken from both of you," Tori whined.

"Sorry Tori!"

Jade simply nodded, her focus not wholly on the conversation at hand but rather at what Tori said only moments earlier. _Whichever of those I end up going to… I already made my choice of where I'm going to… and it's none of them…_

She took another sip from her coffee, slowly easing herself back into the conversation between the two.

* * *

 **A/N: As far as Cat and Robbie go, they will become less central characters as the story moves forward. This is - in ways - a prelude to that.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	22. Enjoy the Show

**Chapter 22. Enjoy the Show**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The West Residence - April 20th, Senior Year**

 **...**

Andre and Robbie sat on the couch in Jade's living room while Beck sat on one of the chairs, the television blaring some sitcom or another, not that anyone was really paying attention to it. For that matter, nobody was really certain who had even turned it on, even though one of them had to have. For them, it was more just white noise, sound that played out and wiped out the silence that otherwise occupied the space. Beck checked his phone, noting the time and becoming all the more impatient with their waiting.

"How much longer do you think it'll take them?" Andre said, sighing as he leaned his head against the arm of the couch, boredom overtaking him.

"You know, I could have liked to believe that they would be ready ten minutes ago," Beck remarked, sounding like he was ready to fall asleep, mindlessly taping away at one of the apps on his phone. "But then again, what do I know?"

Robbie had been silent. So quiet that Beck couldn't help but wonder if he was still breathing, or more likely, if he had fallen asleep. Over the last few weeks, the workout routine that they all had been investing in was certainly taking a physical toll on all of them, perhaps Robbie the most. On several occasions in the past, including several times within class, he had fallen asleep. Looking up from his phone, Beck was pleasantly surprised to see him actually awake, if not fully alert.

Staring at the TV but not particularly focused on it either, Robbie couldn't help but notice the eyes of Beck restricted onto him. Brushing it off initially, very quickly he was finding himself uncomfortable about the whole thing, "What!?"

Beck was mum for a moment, perhaps lacking a finite reason himself as to why he was as so surprised, "A little surprised to see you're still awake."

"Worried that I was taking a nap?"

Beck glanced over quickly to Andre, who very much seemed like he was about to, "Well right now I'm inclined to think that's he more likely to than you." Robbie turned his head and almost immediately nodded in agreement at the sight of Andre's slumped position. "The main thing just that you're awake for when we do leave."

"The last thing I'm going to do is pass out during the Showcase," Robbie confidently said.

Beck smiled, hopeful that Robbie could be true to his word. Realistically, there was little reason to think that Robbie hadn't taken as many initiatives as he could to ensure that he got enough rest beforehand. That said, the fact that it was taking Cat and Jade as long as they were to get ready – and with Andre seeming to fall asleep as a result of that – wasn't exactly a reassuring thought. "Good, cause God knows what Tori – or perhaps more appropriately what Tori AND Jade would do if any of us get caught sleeping during her performance…"

Robbie swallowed, knowing just how true that was. It wasn't as if this was a new revelation to any of them; for what seemed like forever, they all knew how important this night was for Tori. To insult her in that way, it was doubtful that Tori would let them live it down. And for Robbie, with how strained the relationship between him and Jade was already, he didn't want to take any chances and give her provocation to lash out, which was why – much to his dismay and personal struggle – that he left Rex at home. _No doubt he'll find something for him to do._

A quiet, low rumbling broke Robbie's concentration. "You think we should wake him up?" He asked, pointing to Andre who seemed to have been slumped over the arm rest of the couch, sleeping.

Beck said nothing, just looking at Andre for a moment, moving his head closer to hear if he might have been snoring or not. After a couple of seconds, he pulled back and in what seemed like a single motion, grabbed a pillow, aimed it at Andre's head, and threw it right at him, smacking him square in the face, awakening him from his slumber.

"Good morning sunshine!" Beck sarcastically remarked as Andre reacquainted himself with his surroundings, Beck and Robbie included.

"Crap..." Andre mumbled, sounding like he had been woken up far earlier than he had even intended to have been. As he regained his senses fully, Andre looked around, slightly distressed to see only the three of them still there, "The hell? Are they still not ready?"

Robbie shot a quick glance over to Beck, more of a sarcastic one to convey a general 'you're worried about me sleeping but not him?' kind of look. Giving Robbie a nonchalant nod, Beck shook his head at Andre, "Nope…"

Andre leaned back against the couch, in disbelief more than anything else. The fact that he was actually able to fall asleep and be woken up, and all of that before Cat and Jade were even ready, was a damning thought. "Are you sure they didn't hop out the window and go without us?"

"I don't know, but I agree, it's getting ridiculous," Beck lamented as he took out his phone again and played with it for but a moment, then putting it to his ear. The sound of a dial tone could be faintly heard against the sound from the TV. "Jade? Yeah. Yes I'm calling you. Because the three of us are still waiting for you two, we're like right on the cusp of our window to leave and expect decent parking, and Andre's already fallen asleep waiting. Yes..." Beck shook his head as he listened to Jade, what sounded like laughter heard from the phone, "Yes. He fell asleep. No, no he's up now. But seriously, you two almost ready? Alright. Alright. Good. Alright."

As he closed the phone, Andre and Robbie looked on with anticipation. They couldn't help but find it a little sad, that they were so excited for Cat and Jade to be ready, but the waiting was becoming just unbearable. "Well?" Andre asked, breaking the anticipation and silence that filled the air around them.

"She said they'll be ready to go in a minute. Now, I don't know how true that is, but in any case, we should probably assume that we're out the door in the next minute too." Beck suggested, getting up from the chair and heading towards the door, Robbie and Andre following behind.

"Taking one car or two?" Andre asked, a part of him wondering if it was necessary to grab some sort of outerwear. It was April after all, and in California, but the nights could still get cold. After debating with himself, he opted against it.

"Tori's there already, so don't see the reason to take multiple. Worst comes, all of us go in one there, a couple of us head back with her afterwards," Beck reasoned. Though he didn't say it, probably the biggest reason why he didn't want to take multiple cars was parking. The Senior Showcase – although one of the least spoken events that happened within Hollywood Arts – was notorious for always being held in an outside venue, which meant even students were expected to pay. And this year, being at the Pantages Theatre, it meant that they were going to have to shell out a lot – far more than what could possibly justify taking multiple cars there.

The look on Andre's face seemed to read like he wasn't particularly up for the idea of having to take one car – no doubt to an extent because if Beck were driving it'd be him and Jade up front while he was forced to sit with the wannabe lovebirds of Robbie and Cat. At the same time, he was aware enough that a scenario that did call for multiple drivers would mean that Robbie and Cat would still be allocated to the other car – assuming Andre got his way and got to drive there. Figuring there wasn't any harm in seeing if he could turn the tides in some way or another, he was about to speak but not before being cut off by the sound of multiple footsteps descending the nearby staircase.

The boys turned their heads, both in anticipation and with satisfaction that they could now leave, to see both Cat and Jade dressed up, at least reasonably so. The Senior Showcase, while not strictly a formal affair, was still one to expect the proper attire, and Jade and Cat certainly fit the bill. In truth, all of them did and in fact, Robbie couldn't help but think that they were slightly overdressed for the occasion, but he opted not to say a thing, especially now that Jade was here. Moreover, he found himself enamored with how Cat looked, at the teal dress that seemed to make her reddish hair seem far more pronounced.

Beck was similarly impressed with how Jade looked, the black and green dress seeming to be a bit more exotic than what she was used to wearing. To say it wasn't in her character to wear would be an exaggeration, but Beck did appreciate that she was willing to change things around, even if it were only once in a blue moon. "We ready to go," Jade bluntly asked, which broke Beck out of his fascination and back to reality.

Looking at both Andre and Robbie – eyes still locked on Cat – Beck gave a nod of approval, pulling out his keys from his pocket and following the two other boys out the door towards the car, Jade and Cat following just behind.

* * *

 **...**

 **The Pantages Theatre**

 **...**

Beck had been worried that they were starting to risk their window of getting a good parking space, and it turned out that they had all but depleted any shot of getting a good spot.

With the exception of a lone spot in the parking lot. A lone spot that they managed to beat out another driver for by a matter of seconds.

If it were not for that spot, who was to say if they were still looking for a place to park or not. But as things would have it, they were inside the Pantages Theatre, the lot of them surprised really by how fancy it was, how much it resembled the interpretations of theatres that movies often showed. "Wow! This place is incredible," Cat remarked as they entered through the doors, Beck beginning to redistribute their Hollywood Arts' IDs back to all of them.

"Yeah, this place is huge. I can see why they'd want to have the Showcase here as opposed to at school," Jade said in agreement. Even in just the main lobby area, there quite a number of people, but as expected only a fraction of them seemed to actually be students from their class. Judging by their heights, the fact that many seemed to drinking champagne or some other type of drink, and that there was just a – as Jade would put it – "snobby rich person" attitude to it, safe money said that they weren't high school students like themselves.

Andre couldn't help but dart his eyes between the lobby's tables, seeing if he could tell who was who. While Hollywood Arts was no stranger to having agents coming to watch students perform, there was always a low-key nature to their visits. This was far more over-the-top than what anything they had seen involved with the school before. _If they're willing to shell out the money to rent this place, there's no way that they didn't ask some of the high profile people to come and watch the performances. Especially if they're willing to have someone come watch every single performance._ However, as he kept looking, he didn't seem to find anyone who had the "agent" look to them.

"What're you doing," Cat asked as she felt Andre bump into her in his search, causing her to turn and see him utterly preoccupied.

Andre turned around and finally noticed Cat and realized how oblivious he had just been, turning red with embarrassment. "I wanted to see if there any big Hollywood agents around here. You know? If the Showcase is here, you gotta think they'd bring the important people here too."

Cat had a shocked look on her face, not directed at Andre's thought, but rather at the fact that she had not considered that at all either. Be it because they weren't physically in the Hollywood Arts' campus or that they themselves weren't performing in the Showcase, but to a large degree it didn't feel like anything Hollywood Arts, but something entirely different.

They were having difficulty fully accepting that.

Happening to glance over and see the surprised look on Cat's face, Robbie couldn't help but snicker slightly. "What'd you do Andre? I think you broke her!"

Robbie's overreaction garnered laughter out of both Beck and Jade, both of whom had been digesting the atmosphere around them. Jade especially was impressed by everything going on. She could now easily see why the Showcase was meant to be as secretive a thing as Sikowitz and others had made it out to be. Clearly, the intent of this was to highlight the best of the best, those that went above and beyond just what the performances at Hollywood Arts presented routinely. _Good thing Tori's performing tonight. Would be an absolute crime for her not to be. Where's she stack up though?_

It was perhaps the biggest question on Jade's mind now, and perhaps on the rest of their group. Of the students who were going to perform tonight – a number that not even they knew entirely of – where among them would Tori be? The opening act? Somewhere in the middle? It wasn't entirely clear.

As she allowed that question to continue to plague her mind, she couldn't help but notice that Andre had disappeared somewhere into the crowd. "Where'd Andre go?"

As impressive as it was that Andre had managed to go from being right with them a moment ago to disappearing completely, it was a bit distressing themselves. What if Cat were to wander off? What would be the realistic chances that they might find her before the Showcase ends? Undoubtedly slim to none.

Jade quickly took a hold of Cat's wrist, her fingers tightening around, allowing just enough ease so that blood flow wouldn't be cut off. Even in spite of this, Cat yelped in pain and shock as she looked down and saw just what her friend was doing. "Jade? Why are you grabbing my arm?"

"Precaution. Don't want you to get lost, now do we?"

Cat stared at Jade for a moment – her focus never leaving the crowd as she continued to scan it for where Andre might have gone to – before she shrugged her shoulders. _Jade's such a good friend. Not wanting me to disappear with the stranger. Oh God? What if one of them tried to kidnap me? Oh God… What if someone does want to kidnap me and Jade realized it first?_ Cat trembled slightly as horror scenarios played out in her head, though another quick glance at her wrist was immediately followed up by a reassuring sigh of relief.

"Seriously though, where the hell is Andre?" Jade remarked, her irritation becoming all the more apparent the longer he was gone.

Neither Beck nor Robbie had any clue themselves, both of them looking as frantically as Jade seemed to have been, if not more. Robbie even went as far as to repeatedly jump up and down, hoping to get a glance over the taller people nearby, though that yielded nothing, other than a number of eyes glaring at him. "Could he have already taken a seat inside?"

"Possibly," Beck remarked, "But I find it a bit tough to believe that he'd save us seats without telling us beforehand."

"Hey guys!"

The group turned their heads as one, seeing Andre appear out of nowhere. While all of them had mixed expressions, their faces seeming to convey irritation, confusion, happiness, and surprise, his face was all smiles, like a kid in a candy store. "The hell did you go," Jade barked out, the suddenness of it causing Andre to take a step back.

"Look who I found," Andre said, stepping to the side as David and Holly Vega came to the forefront. It went without saying that this was a bit of a surprise to them, as the situation with Holly had been one that Tori had been extremely mum about for the past several weeks – as well as being one which the rest of the group didn't inquire on. In fact, for all of them, this was the first time that they were seeing her since Tori's 18th birthday dinner, so unexpected would be an appropriate term to describe what they thought of this.

"Hey Mr. Vega, Mrs. Vega," Cat enthusiastically said, wanting to run up and hug them both, only to be pulled back by Jade's hold. She looked down at her wrist and then at Jade, hoping the grip would be released, but wasn't. She tried one more time to pull away and again Jade wouldn't comply, pulling her back. Cat gave a defeated pout to Tori's parents.

David smiled at Cat's determination, unable to help but feel a little sorry for the girl. That said, he was more than acquainted with Cat and her excitable state. Under the circumstances, he couldn't wholly fault Jade for being watchful of her. "Good to see you, Cat. Really, it's nice to see all you guys here to support Tori."

Jade smirked at David's remark, "Of course. We wouldn't miss it for anything."

David nodded his head as he took a step towards Jade, patting her on the shoulder. "Tori's been lucky to have a friend like you. I can already tell that she's gonna miss you." Jade wasn't entirely sure how to react to that, unable to do anything more than just smile at the kind words.

Beck quickly moved in and tapped her on the shoulder. "Can you excuse us for a moment?" He asked Mr. Vega, and in the same instant he and Jade were outside of the group, though not far enough away as to be out of earshot of the conversation. Learning towards Jade, Beck spoke softly so that only she would be able to hear, "What was that about?"

Jade shrugged her shoulders, "What was what about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Why do they think…?" Beck stopped just short of continuing, being almost certain he knew what happened. "You haven't told Tori yet… Have you?"

Jade huffed, not wanting to give Beck the satisfaction of being right. "Between her mom and the Showcase, not exactly a high priority for her," she dismissively said, knowing that it'd be hardly sufficient for Beck.

In what was a minor miracle, Beck didn't push the issue further, simply sighing and saying something along the lines of "May not be a bad idea to do so sooner rather than later." Jade couldn't completely tell what he said, as Cat seemed to grab the two of them and pulled them back to the group – Jade laughing very lightly at the irony of her getting a taste of her own medicine. But really, she was more surprised that it didn't dissolve into an argument between her and Beck, as how often it seemed that important things like that seemed to.

"So, did you guys see this?" Robbie casually asked Beck and Jade, both of whom gave him confused looks.

"What?" Jade asked, a part of her mind still focused on what Beck was saying, that the conversation ended as abruptly as it did, and a nagging feeling that Beck was disappointed in her. _It's really not that big of a deal. Right?_

"Look!" Cat exclaimed as she handed Beck a small pamphlet among the dozen or so that Robbie had grabbed moments earlier. Looking alongside Beck, Jade saw that it was the scheduling of performances for tonight. Intrigued, she looked closer at it, almost ready to go into a fit of rage at not seeing the name Tori Vega listed anywhere. It wasn't until she took another glance at it that she realized that she had made a partial mistake.

Tori's name wasn't among the earlier performances of the night.

She was the last one. She was the one who as going to close out the show.

"Did you know this?" Beck asked Jade, tilting his head to see that her gaze hadn't parted from the pamphlet, a smile on her face at how things seemed to turn out.

Finally, after perhaps the second or third time that he had asked, Jade finally acknowledged him, "No! No, I mean, she never told me about it. Did you Andre?"

To Jade's surprise, Andre shook his head. "Nah. I don't even know what song she's planning on doing!"

There was a brief moment of silence at this, at the fact that none of them had any idea what Tori was planning. It was by no means the first time that they were in the dark, but with everything that had happened with Tori in the past several months, with how much she had been stressing lately about the Showcase, it was a bit of a surprise to know that she was tackling at it alone.

"ATTENTION: The Hollywood Arts Senior Showcase is to begin in fifteen minutes. Those in attendance please make your way to Auditorium 1."

The announcement boomed throughout the main lobby as people very quickly began to scurry around, some quickly retreating to the auditorium, others staying behind. Holly and David Vega both bid their respective farewells to the group as they disappeared with the masses. Taking hold of Cat's wrist once again, Jade followed behind Tori's parents, with the boys following along as well.

* * *

 **...**

 **Auditorium 1**

 **...**

Whether or not they were just very lucky, or perhaps it being some sort of miracle, somehow or another they had managed to find an empty row of seven seats, even in spite of the mass exodus into the large auditorium. Holly Vega sat at the far end of the group, David Vega between her and Jade. From there on, it went Beck, Andre, Cat, and ended with Robbie who sat at the other end.

Just as the announcement had stated earlier, after nearly fifteen minutes exact the lights dimmed and performances began. Regardless of who it might have been, be them a singer, a dancer, or some sort of obscure act, they all seemed to last about five minutes or so, give or take a minute.

And one thing that even the biggest critics like Jade had to admit, they were good. A couple of them were regular performers at Hollywood Arts, so them being among those selected wasn't all that hard to believe. A few of them were – to say the least – surprising, be it either their act or just that they weren't extremely active. There were more than a couple names that Jade had no idea who they were, even if they might have had a class with her at one point or another.

As each act concluded and took their bows, each was met with thunderous applause that echoed throughout the auditorium. Looking around, seeing for how far each row seemed to extend, each seemingly able to seat a hundred people or more, Jade couldn't help but wonder how many people were like her, actual students in Hollywood Arts, and how many were family like Tori's mom and dad, and how many were critics and agents. Certainly there had to have been a handful of them scattered throughout, but would they be among those cheering?

"How long until Tori goes on?" Cat asked, a little hesitant to speak louder than a whisper, lest she offend someone who might have been seated near her who wanted to watch a particular person.

Andre glanced down at his pamphlet. He had taken it upon himself to fold over name on the itinerary as they went, a way for him to keep track of how long would it be until Tori would finally close it out. Unwrapping it, he methodically counted each of the names, at points even looking to struggle to not count a name twice. "If I'm right, there should only be about three more people. Then Tori's up."

Cat jumped for joy in her seat, excited to hear Tori perform. "Yay! I hope she sings something fun! Maybe something that has a lot of dancing or something! Wouldn't that be fun!?"

Andre nodded, a faint smile on his face. "That it would, baby girl. That it would!"

With so few acts now to prelude Tori's closeout performance, it seemed that with new person who performed, the more excited the group seemed to be collectively. While a portion of that could have been the fact that there was less filler now, much of it was genuine. Whoever had been asked to set up the Showcase's lineup had done a marvelous job up to this point, with each act generating more and more excitement and praise than the one previously, and the last few were well exceeding what the earlier acts were.

"She's next!" Cat exclaimed, no longer able to control her joy, having no care for whether other people might had heard her or not.

Even as the previous act finished and the applause began to wane, it seemed like things only seemed to drag out longer and longer. Lights dimmed, silence finally overtook the auditorium, and all of them, Jade, Robbie, Andre, Beck, and Cat all sat on the edge of their seats in anticipation. As a whole, they eagerly awaited Tori's performance, and as the darkness continued to overwhelm the auditorium, the ambient sounds that echoed throughout further conveyed that sentiment.

The lights on stage began to barely shine, showcasing the silhouettes of those on stage, one person – presumably Tori – standing in the center, while four people stood on either side of her. None of them moved, all appearing like stone, even as cheers, hollers, and whistles started to become more audible and apparent.

Then the music hit.

 _I stand here waiting for you to bang the gong_

 _To crash the critics saying, "Is it right or is it wrong?"_

 _If only fame had an IV, baby could I bear_

 _Being away from you, I found the vein, put it in here._

 _I live for the applause, applause, applause_

 _I live for the applause-plause, live for the applause-plause_

 _Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me_

 _The applause, applause, applause_

 _Give me that thing that I love, turn the lights on_

 _Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch_

 _Give me that thing that I love, turn the lights on_

 _Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch_

The entire auditorium erupted into cheers and shouts of excitement as Tori put on her performance, completely owning the stage. Even from the row they sat at, there were seeming no end to the support and praise that they were giving their friend, and deservingly so. Andre couldn't help but be impressed by how much of a contrast this song was to what she had done for her audition, but also at how appropriate it was for the event. And the dancers who all performed alongside her, everything just managed to go together so well, it was still a bit hard to believe that Tori had managed to keep them all out of the loop, throughout all of this.

 _I've overheard your theory_

 _"Nostalgia's for geeks"_

 _I guess sir, if you say so_

 _Some of us just like to read_

 _One second I'm a kunst_

 _Then suddenly the kunst is me_

 _Pop culture was in art_

 _Now, art's in pop culture in me_

 _Give me that thing that I love, turn the lights on_

 _Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch_

 _Give me that thing that I love, turn the lights on_

 _Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch_

 _A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E_

 _Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch_

 _A-R-T-P-O-P_

With a final gesture, the music died, the lights lit the entire place, and Tori stood alone in the center of the stage; the dancers having rescinded gracefully to the recesses of the curtains, out of sight of the audience. Though the applause had progressed gotten greater and greater with each following act, the applause Tori received was deafening. Everyone was on their feet, numerous shouts for an encore being yelled throughout the stands.

Andre found himself without a voice by the end of Tori's performance and he wouldn't have been surprised if Cat or others might have been in the same boat. Taking a very quick glance around the row, all of them were clapping, undoubtedly proud by what they had seen.

Tori had managed to keep her performance a secret, and no doubt it was for the better that she had done that. Who was to say that the magic that they were all feeling would have been as impactful?

Meanwhile, as she took her bow, Tori took the opportunity to try to find her mom, dad, and friends. But with an audience this large, with the spotlights shining down right on her, it was far from a simple task and one that would be all but impossible as the curtains began to close. Once they had fully closed, Tori departed from the stage, wasting no time in finding a place to sit, desperate to find something to drink. Grabbing a bottle of water off one of the nearby tables, Tori slumped into a chair as people began to flock to her, congratulating her on such a powerful performance. She smiled and thanked everyone for their kind words, though in the back of her mind, in spite of the adrenaline-fueled high she was feeling, there was a lone nagging thought in the back of her head.

 _Well Tori… That was your last real performance at Hollywood Arts. Savor this moment, because who's to say what UCLA will have in store… But we can think about that tomorrow!Tonight's not the night to be thinking about that!_

* * *

 **A/N: The song performed by Tori is "Applause" by Lady Gaga.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	23. A Novice Guide to Roommates

**Chapter 23. A Novice Guide to Roommates**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Asphalt Cafe - April 30th, Senior Year**

 **...**

On one hand, it was hard to believe that it was almost May, in fact only a day from it being May. It seemed like senior year was blazing through at an alarming quick rate. For instance, Tori Vega couldn't help but feel like the Senior Showcase and her huge performance in it happened only yesterday. Though, while in some circumstances like that, it served as a blessing; in other cases it was a tragic reminder of the reality that senior year was coming to a near close.

And unfortunately, that was being made as abundantly clear to Tori as well, particularly in the form of the missing Robbie Shapiro and Cat Valentine. Both flew out to New York City over the weekend for NYU's Accepted Student Event, or as Robbie described it, "a first look at the next four years of our lives." It wasn't a shocker that they would be going, as Tori had spent the greater extent of the last week helping Cat get ready, be it packing, driving her to the airport, and even going as far as to prepare little snack bags for her for the plane ride. Even then though, with all the notice beforehand that they would be gone, it was hardly a fun time.

Ironically enough though, there was a rare sense of tranquility that seemed to exist with the two of them gone and as she sat alone in the Asphalt Café, Tori couldn't help but marvel at the fact that for the first time in however long it might have been, that she had some privacy and solitude. _I could get used to this, no Andre, no Jade, no Cat… No Rex! Yeah, this is nice._ With a smile on her face, she simply remained at the table they typically all sat at normally, her eyes eagerly exploring the freshman survival guide that UCLA had mailed her a few days earlier.

After a couple of minutes though, she couldn't help but get an uneasy feeling creeping up on her. _It's way too quiet here. Like everyone's watching me or something… I take it back. I don't like this._ Shifting her head from side to side, she couldn't help but feed the paranoid thoughts that the silence was inducing. After darting her eyes a couple more times around her, she returned back to the guide, but now she had completely lost track of where she was just reading.

Now, oblivious to the rest of the student body, to whomever might have been seated at the nearby tables, friend or not, Tori had become entranced within the guide. Whether or not the stuff in here was actually of any help was up for debate, but it was a great read regardless. So much so that Tori never even bothered to lift her head up at any noises, any screams, shouts, or whatever might have drowned out the Café.

Even the sound of someone taking a seat right next to her at the table.

"A lot of stuff about the football team. Are the Bruins even any good?" Tori asked aloud, still under the impression that there was nobody in the immediate area.

"Meh. Beck said that they were pretty good before, but the last few years they've been pretty mediocre. Average really," Jade said nonchalantly, taking pleasure in the fact that her sudden speaking caused Tori to nearly fall out of her seat, not to mention have what looked like a mini heart attack. "What's the matter Vega? You look like you just saw a ghost."

Tori took in a deep breath as she regained herself, chuckling afterwards in hopes of convincing Jade she was just kidding. Unfortunately, given how well Jade seemed to know Tori, it wasn't very likely that she would be able to convince her. "I'm just kidding, you know that! Just a little surprised to see you is all. Was expecting to have the entire lunch period to myself."

"Weird. Where's everyone?"

"Cat and Robbie are in New York for their orientation. Andre and Beck said something about skipping lunch to make up a class or something like that."

"So, you're here all alone then?" Jade asked in a slightly ridiculing way.

It didn't seem like it phased Tori though, as she simply smiled at Jade. "Not anymore! You're here too!"

Jade smirked, "Ugh, don't remind me. Me sitting here, being forced to endure this time alone with you is hardly on the top of my favorite things to do either. Really I was just stopping off to grab something to eat before I worked on my latest script. Was sorta hoping that you'd be crying or something, really help get the creative juices flowing."

Tori was left aghast as what Jade said. In reality, she knew that she was kidding, though it was always enjoyable enough to have their little back and forth, like a secret language spoken between best friends, if that made any sense to her. "I'm a little worried about what sort of play you're writing now. Let me guess… The Tale of the Girl Who Ended Up Dying Alone With a Broken Heart?"

Jade smiled and shook her head, "I've already written a play like that. This one is more a comedy, I'd say."

The Latina rose an eyebrow, "And me crying would help with your creativity? For a comedy?"

"A dark comedy, yeah."

Tori laughed, Jade chuckling along right after. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you Jade. Always tomorrow though!"

"True enough. I guess I'll just come by tomorrow, hope for the best," Jade began to get up from her seat, not actually intending on leaving, but just hoping to see if Tori would take the bait.

And of course, she did.

"Hold on, Jade! Don't leave yet," Tori insisted as she took hold of Jade's arm with both hands, exerting all the strength she could to forcibly pull Jade into her seat. Though she struggled, she did manage to return her back to her previous position. How much of that was Jade assisting her, that was a mystery in itself. "So how've things been? I feel like we haven't spoken at all in the past couple of days! What's been going on with you? Did you decide which college you're going to school yet!?"

Jade wasn't anticipating Tori's barrage of questions, though she certainly was expecting at least the final one. _Of course, Tori would ask where I'm going. I swear, she won't rest until she knows…_ Jade smiled while lost in thought, realizing just how convenient it was seeming to be.

...

Flashback:

...

Unsurprisingly, Jade's house was empty when she and Beck returned there. After what was arguably one of, if not, Tori's best performance that they had seen of her, the gang had decided to celebrate it at Tori's house. At least, the gang excluding Beck and Jade, the latter of whom seemed insistent on leaving earlier and without the rest of them. To the relief of Andre, Cat, and Robbie, they were fortunate enough to have Tori's parents drop them off, given Beck took the only car to take Jade home.

"Hell of a show, wasn't it?" Beck remarked as he held open the door for Jade, closing it shut the second she had passed through it.

Jade made a beeline right towards the couch wasting no time in laying out on it, fatigued and tired from enjoying the Showcase, "You know, it really was. I mean, Tori just killed it!"

Beck nodded, undoing the buttons of his over shirt, part of him contemplating to toss it over the chair, but instead just leaving it open. "She did. But you gotta admit too, the others that they included. They were really good."

"I'll give them that. It was a thoroughly enjoyable night. But even then, Tori still had the best performance of them. Can't deny that."

"No doubt, no doubt." For a moment, Beck stared at Jade, looking right at her before continuing on, "You alright?"

Jade lifted her head up, a little confused, a little tired, and even a little bit annoyed, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. I guess just a little surprised that you didn't want to go to Tori's house. Everyone else's there."

Jade shrugged, "Meh..."

If there were any reason to think that there wasn't anything bothering Jade, her reaction certainly wasn't that. If anything, it was all the more an indicator that there was something up with her, "Meh? What is 'meh'? Do you want to go to Tori's?" Beck got up from the chair and began to make his way to the door, "We can hop in my car, head there now if-"

"No!" Jade yelled out, the suddenness of it causing Beck to stand in his place, eyes fixated on Jade. "No... I'd rather not. But thanks anyways Beck..."

Beck sighed slightly as he returned to the chair, "Alright... Then, do you wanna tell me what's going on?"

"I don't get what you're driving at," Jade asked as she rolled her eyes, becoming all the more irritated with Beck's prodding. "What exactly is apparently going on with me, if you're so certain something's up?"

Even though Jade's voice was rising, Beck remained calm. It wasn't the first time that Jade was lashing out, and after all these years, he had certainly become a bit of an expert when it comes to dealing with Jade West. "Well I mean, you're the one who was the most thrilled, the most excited about going to see Tori perform, and now it's like you want to avoid her at all costs. That's hell of a reverse. And there's the matter of what happened earlier-"

Again, Jade cut Beck off. Though this time, it was clear that she was angry, much more than she gave any indication of moments earlier, "As I recall, we dropped that topic. Didn't we?"

"Yes. Then. When it was you and me standing only a couple of feet away from Cat, Andre, Robbie, and Tori's parents. It's just you and me here. Tell me, why haven't you told Tori that you're looking to go to UCLA?"

"I already told you why. The last month she's been so busy with the Showcase, there was just never any time to tell her about it."

Beck chuckled to himself at hearing Jade. He made no intention of keeping his thoughts silent, especially not if Jade was going to play these games, "Bullshit!"

And Beck's bluntness took Jade for a surprise, "What's bullshit!?"

"That! You didn't have time!?" Beck exclaimed as he gestured his arms for added emphasis, "Of all the people in Tori's life, you and Andre are probably the two who she spends the most time with. And you expect me to believe that at no point did you have a chance to tell her, not even just simply say something like, "Oh by the way Tori, I'm going to UCLA too?""

"There was never an opportunity."

Beck rose an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yeah!" Jade barked, adamant in her stance. She wanted Beck to drop it. She didn't want him to keep pressing the issue and by all accounts, she was happy earlier when he dropped it. She thought it would have been the end of it, and now she was coming to realize that at no point was Beck simply going to let it go.

"Jade... You and I both know that's not true. You expect me to believe, that in spite of all the time that the two of you have spent together, that at no point was there an opportunity for you to tell her. Come on Jade. You and I both know that that's a bullshit argument and nothing more."

Jade threw up her arms in irritation, "What do you want me to say Beck?"

Beck leaned back as he listened to Jade speak. It wasn't just what she said, but how she said it. It wasn't like a Jade who was angry and was just getting irritated with a conversation. It was a Jade who upset and obviously struggling with something. What that might have been was tough to say. "I just want to know why. Given what Tori's mom said, it seems like Tori thinks this is the last she'll see of you. Don't you think that that'd be the one thing to delight her more than anything else, knowing that you'll be there too?"

"And then what!?" Jade asked, looking like now she was starting to fight back tears.

That more than anything, a face of a Jade who looked vulnerable, it took Beck for a surprise. In this moment, he realized that it was a lot more serious than he figured for initially, but what it was was still a question mark. "Pardon?"

Jade sat up on the couch, looking down for a moment before lifting her head to meet Beck's, tears looking like they were beginning to trail down her face, "And then what'll happen? She finds out that I'm going to UCLA and then she gets hit with something else that utter devastates her? That's all it's been for her, Beck! This whole last year, nothing more than a fucking roller coaster of happy moments that come crashing down and leaves her what? Shattered!? Broken!? If I tell her that I'm going to the same school as her, what's the logical next step, the next doomsday scenario that'll strike her? Her dad gets in a car accident? Andre ends up getting cancer? Her mom kills herself?"

"Jade!" Beck couldn't believe what he was hearing. Understandably, not a single scenario that she had said was anything exciting, far from what any of them, Tori most of all, would ever want to happen. And even though she was just trying to illustrate a point – and a morbid one at that – it was still a bit disturbing to hear such things spoken aloud.

At this point it was clear that even in spite of his protests, Jade was on a tear and was just going to keep going, "What? If I'm wrong, let me know. Because it's been either Trina doing something or another that makes me just want to fucking strangle her, or it's someone else in her family breaking down. I mean, seriously Beck, at what point does she get a break?"

"So, let me make sure that I got this right. You haven't told Tori because once she finds out that, you're expecting her to undergo some sort of tragedy? Is that about it?"

Jade nodded, "That's how it's been for the last year. Why should I believe that shit is going to all of a sudden change?"

Beck sat there for a moment, thinking. Not just about how best to respond to Jade, but also thinking and reflecting on – to an extent – how true it was what Jade was saying. Tori had been given a rotten deal up to this point, and unfortunately precedent hadn't done much to make any of them, certainly not Jade, think otherwise.

But, for as much as Beck might have agreed with Jade, he knew that in one respect, she was completely wrong.

"Maybe you're right."

Jade couldn't help but widen her eyes at the surprising admission by Beck. She was expecting him to fight her until from then until the sun rose on the matter. By no means did she expect him just to concede.

"Maybe you shouldn't tell Tori that you're going to UCLA too. Let her find out on her own. Hell, maybe even go out of your way to avoid her, make sure that she never finds out. Under your theory, you're protecting her from whatever the hell might happen next right? Good on you." Beck found himself raising his voice now, becoming more incensed as he went on, "And then what happens, when whether it be because of you or whoever or whatever it might be, what good are you doing then?"

Jade was speechless, not expecting this from Beck. Nor had she really considered the scenario he was describing.

"For as shitty as she's had it for the last year, you have to give Tori credit. She's tough, tougher than probably most. But honestly, for a moment just consider this. You've been there for Tori throughout all of it. So has Andre. She goes to UCLA, she won't have Cat, she won't have Robbie. She'll have him, and maybe you, but only if you're willing to be there for her. If something terrible happens to her, if the roller coaster you're describing continues on, don't you think she would want you there to help her through it too?" Beck stopped, noticing that Jade was just about at the point of breaking down completely. He wanted to end it there, but he knew he couldn't. Not just yet. "How do you want her to think of you as? As one of her best friends who stood beside her and was there for her? Or like her sister who abandoned her? Which one?"

Jade simply looked at Beck for a moment, a heavy mixture of pain and anger rushing through her. As tears began to freely fall down her cheeks, she jumped from the couch and practically lunged at Beck. "DO. NOT. COMPARE ME TO HER!" She yelled out as she began to strike at Beck, none of her blows actually doing anything more than causing him to throw his arms up in defense. After a couple of seconds, she stopped and simply broke down, crying over his shirt. "I'm not like her. I'm not…"

Beck hated himself for what he had said to her just then. Jade's hate for Trina was hardly a secret. Hell, even Tori knew it fully well. To take that a step further and actually compare her to Trina, it was more than likely that Jade would have lashed and beaten the crap out of someone were they not among within their group – though it was possibly she would have kicked Robbie's ass if he said that. But there was a reason why Beck said that, because he knew they are nothing alike. "I know. You're nothing like her. It's why I want you to understand what you abandoning her is paramount to. To keep that a secret from her, what else is she to think of that?"

"So, in your infinite wisdom, how would you suggest I go about it?" Jade asked in a semi-condescending tone which ironically enough drew a smile from Beck. Something about it, about Jade still being able to be her while so down, it was a bit refreshing.

"Honestly, I don't know how to answer that for you," He gently caressed his thumbs against her cheeks, wiping away the tears as he kissed her forehead. "You're a smart girl though, and you're the accepted student, not me. I'm sure you'll come up with some sort of way of going about asking her."

After a couple minutes of just holding Jade, allowing to regain her composure, to recollect herself, he finally released what little of a grip he had on her, though she made little effort to get up. When she finally did, Beck wasted no time in getting up from the chair, the need to stretch his legs overwhelming him. "How're you feeling?"

Jade didn't immediately respond, instead just looking blankly into space for a moment before she turned towards him, giving him a weak smile, one that was hardly believable but at least a more welcoming sight than her in dismay.

"You wanna go grab some late night smoothies?" Beck suggested, knowing that beyond just the appeal of some smoothies, the two of them going for a walk under the stars might do wonders to help reassure her.

Jade nodded and as if she had gotten a second wind, rushed towards the door, leading through as Beck closed the door behind them.

...

* * *

It was hardly something that was easy to do, but it seemed like she had finally found a perfect way to break the news to Tori, though even then, she wanted to make sure that the conditions were right. And thus far, they seemed to be, but she had to be completely certain. "So what's that you're reading?" She asked, knowing full well what it was but just trying to prompt conversation.

"It's a survival guide, or at least that's what they're calling it. Arrived for me last Friday, and you can see just from this, it's something." Tori began to blankly turn pages, no longer having any more vested interest in where she had been moments earlier. "But, whether or not it's actually of any use, I have no idea. I mean, they did put a lot of time into it. Seems more like a way to get incoming students excited I guess."

Jade shrugged her shoulders. She could tell by the fifth or so page that it was more just an advertisement measure than anything else, but it was obvious that Tori had been enjoying it. She couldn't help but wonder if she should give it another shot when she got home later. "So…"

Tori looked at Jade, confused. "So?"

"Did it work? Get you more excited I mean?"

Tori closed the guide and pushed it off to the side, tilting her head in an unsure motion. "You know, it does but it doesn't. You know what I mean? Like, I am so ready to go and just be there, but like, I have no idea what to expect or anything. So like, I guess you can say that yes, I'm excited, but I'm not entirely sure how much more the book adds to it."

Jade nodded, "Fair enough. I mean, students in your position, and I'm more generalizing, you're ready from the moment you've applied. Guessing you got all your forms and stuff done? Things like housing and shit?"

Tori shook her head, slightly to Jade's surprise, but more to her satisfaction. _Perfect!_

"That's been like, the one thing I haven't done yet. Something about the dorms, I guess you can say I'm a bit paranoid about them. I know it doesn't exactly make much sense, but I feel like the later I do them, the more reassured about them I'll be. Am I crazy or do you get what I'm saying?"

"You don't' want to admit to yourself that you're going to be living in the dorms. Is that about it?"

Tori snapped her fingers, "Exactly! I don't know why. Just can't help but feel that."

Jade made her move. "Well, I mean, there are other options."

Tori rose an eyebrow, confused about what she meant. From everything she had gathered, all incoming freshman had to live in the dorms. If there were exceptions, she didn't know any. "What do you mean?"

Reaching into her bag, Jade fumbled around through the few folders she kept in there, finally finding the one she was looking for, pulling it out and going through the handful of papers thrown into it. _I need to get better about how I sort these papers. Sooner rather than later._ Finally, she found it. "Here, take a look at this," she said as she handed Tori a form that she had printed out last night.

Looking at it, Tori couldn't believe what she was reading, or for that matter that she missed it.

 _"Mo Black Media Empire (NASDAQ: MBME) Unveils 150-Unit Golisano Deluxe Apartment Complex for UCLA Students for 2012-2013 Academic Year."_

Tori read on, not even realizing that she was reading aloud to Jade. "The Golisano Apartments, the end result of a 450-million-dollar grant from the media conglomerate Mo Black Media Empire, are officially open for applicants. Limited to UCLA students, Golisano Apartments are being regarded as, "Luxury beyond what any college student throughout the United States have encountered before." To celebrate the completion of this ambitious project, UCLA will consider all applications submitted, including those by incoming freshman, until leases are filled. Rooms range from studios to three bedrooms…"

Tori's words began to trail as she read the last few lines, having gotten the major point that it was making, and based on the pictures provided, they were certainly impressive looking apartments. Maybe a little bit expensive, but the fact that for the moment they were accepting freshman students, it was something that they couldn't help but pass up on.

It was then a thought occurred to Tori, "Wait a minute… Jade… What were you doing looking at…"

Then the lightbulb in her head turned on entirely.

"Jade…"

Jade simply looked on, thinking that Tori finally realized what she was hoping for.

"Jade…"

Jade smirked slightly, pretending to have no idea what she was talking about, "Yes Vega?"

"Did… Did… you?"

"Did I what? Honestly, Vega. Words. Sentences. Use them."

"Are you going to…"

She almost felt bad now, finding that Tori was completely taken aback by this revelation. _Was she really so unaware of all of this? God, I don't want to stop this, but I can't help but feel bad for putting her through this…_ "Am I going to where? To UCLA? Is that you're asking?"

Tori at this point gave up on trying to speak, simply just nodding her head, her eyes widened as she had put all of her attention onto Jade, hoping that what she was going to say next was what she was suspecting.

Jade didn't immediately answer, savoring the last few seconds of seeing Tori squirm in anticipation. "Yes, yes I am-"

As soon as she said the first yes, Tori had lunged right at Jade, pulling her into a unbelievable bear hug, tighter than anything that Jade had experienced before. That, along with the high-pitched squeal of delight and excitement which caused every single head in the Café to turn towards them in a bit of confusion. However, in spite of how curious they might have been, nobody got up, instead turning back to the conversations they were having only seconds earlier.

"Vega… Vega… Put… me down!" Choking to get out the words, Jade couldn't help but find it a bit surprising that Tori was actually able to tell what she was saying. Listening to her own words, Jade could barely make them out herself.

Immediately releasing her grip, Tori found herself overcome with worry that she had hurt Jade, though given effortlessly and easily that Jade was pushing Tori back, the Latina had to assume that she was fine. "Sorry about that. I guess I was just a little bit excited."

"Yeah, between the death choke and your deafening cheer, I kinda put that together." Jade remarked as she began rotating her shoulders, smiling once she heard a small pop coming from them.

"I just… When? I mean, Cat had no idea. I didn't!"

Jade smirked, "I have a feeling that if Cat found out, everyone in the school would know, not just you."

Tori smiled, "You know what I mean! You could have at least told me…"

"Eh, maybe. But, I had a reason or two not to," Jade said, absolutely not wanting to go much further into than that. Having that talk with Beck was bad enough, but with Tori? Absolutely not. "Just trust me."

She wanted to pry further, she wanted to know exactly why Jade didn't tell her, but Tori just shrugged, assuming that she probably had a good reasoning for it. "Alright… So," She reached down and picked up the form that Jade handed her earlier, "You had this in mind?"

"Yeah, why not. They're on campus, open to freshman, nice as hell. I got a full ride, I find it a bit hard to believe that you didn't get accepted without pretty much a full ride yourself, right?"

Tori nodded. By all accounts, she pretty much did get a full ride to the school as well, but that would be a different story if they didn't happen to live in California. Thankfully it wasn't the case.

"So yeah, and I'm sure that Andre's in the same boat as us. I mean, there you go. We get a nice ass apartment, don't have to worry about weird roommates, or anything like that. I mean, we all get our own bathrooms Vega!"

Tori was again fixated on the form, noticing everything that were included in the apartments. "We can get a piano in it too!" She looked up from the form, "You're thinking of getting Andre too?"

"Why not?" Jade bluntly said. "I mean, he's one hundred percent going there too. Why wouldn't we include him on this? And really, do you think he wouldn't find out and try to either bribe or threaten us to include him when all things were said and done?"

Jade made a great point. The fact was, Andre was pretty much committed to going to UCLA since he had his audition, and unlike Tori – or Jade at this point – who might have had the luxury of rooming with someone they knew from high school, Tori didn't know any other guys from Hollywood Arts who were going to UCLA. He'd be alone, and Tori and Jade would be roomies. In this scenario though, everyone wins. "So, when can we apply to live here? I mean, if they're allowing freshmen, that's like what, a few thousand potential people?"

"It said they'll start accepting them at midnight tonight. Add in the fact that it's first come, first serve, and we're golden. Think about it. Someone on the East Coast has gotta stay up until like 3 AM if they want to get them."

"Good point," Tori concluded. No doubt there would be some on the East Coast, and even some in Central US states that would be up and ready to put in applications, but given how Jade had already thought things through up to this point, there was little reason to think that she wasn't taking things like that into account. "So, you wanna tell Andre or should I?"

"I'll tell him during Sikowitz's class. After all, it's not like we'll be doing anything while Sikowitz is sick."

"True." There was a brief silence between them before Tori found herself again fixating on the form, marveling at the apartments, further and further entranced at what they might end up getting. "So, you thinking like third floor or something?"

"Oh hell no. Ground floor, all the way. I don't wanna have to deal with two to three flights of stairs each time I go to class."

Tori nodded, "That's a good point."

"Anyways, I'm gonna get going. Don't exactly have a ton of time, and wouldn't mind getting at least a page or two worth of dialogue done before the bell. I'll talk to ya in a little bit Vega." And with that, Jade began to depart from the table.

"See ya!" Tori called out, unsure if Jade heard her, but assuming that she did. Taking her seat again at the table, Tori found herself torn between further reading the survival guide or instead continuing to daydream about their potential new apartment with her potential roommates.

 _If we request something other than white walls, would they charge us? Could we paint them ourselves? Oh, I wonder if we have the apartments for more than a year if they'll give us more freedom to do things like that. Definitely going to be something I ask when they give us our keys…_

* * *

 **A/N: I recognize that UCLA does not normally give the option for freshmen to live outside of their dorms, but for the purposes of this story and what I have planned in the future, a dorm room just would not work. So keep that in mind if you're confused by that.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	24. A Clear State of Mind

**Chapter 24. A Clear State of Mind**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Sikowitz's Classroom - May 22nd, Senior Year**

 **...**

With only a couple weeks left, it was very clear that the end was almost there, and while the younger classes were excited for the moment when they could officially say that they were seniors, juniors, or even just no longer freshmen, it was the senior class that was displaying the most emotion throughout everything. In fact, not just the seniors, but the teachers too, those who had watched many of the students since they were freshmen, having put on performance upon performance, sung song after song, to get to this point.

Some wasted no time in displaying their affection and joy. Others were far more timid in that respect, feeling almost like doing so would act as some sort of betrayal, an indictment on their ability to teach and not show any preference towards particular students. Whether justified or not, it was apparent that the teachers and facility at Hollywood Arts were as diverse in their feelings as were the students.

"So hungry…" Cat whined as she sat in her chair, her feet tapping against the floor of Sikowitz's classroom with untamed fury. Every so often, the speed would build up, only to slow down, then to build up again afterwards.

"Didn't you get like two burgers at lunch?" Tori asked, hoping that Cat would gain some composure and stop her tamtrum on her own. Knowing Cat though, that was a tall order.

Cat stopped for a moment, as if she had completely forgotten about the fact that their lunch period had only been about fifteen minutes ago, or the fact that she had eaten not just her burger, but also Robbie's. After thinking for a bit, she again began to stamp her feet, "Still hungry!"

"Ugh, please silence her. Someone?" Jade whined, seeming to look like she was on the verge of silencing Cat herself.

"I got something that she can eat," Rex remarked in a snarky tone, drawing eyes of contempt towards the puppet, and some at Robbie as well.

"Dude…" Tori chastised.

"Not cool man," Andre said as well, shaking his head in disapproval.

"I don't get it," Cat innocently stated. "What does he mean?"

"Don't worry about it," Jade said, ready to throw something at Robbie if the puppet were to make another sound.

"Good morning class! I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Friday morning! Anyone have any special plans for the weekend?" Sikowitz yelled out as he emerged from beneath his desk, to the shock of several students, Tori among them.

"It's not morning. It's like 1 PM or something," Andre remarked, seemingly unfazed by the peculiar arrival of their teacher.

"1:14 to be exact," Robbie corrected him, not looking at his own watch but rather the one on Rex's puppet arm.

Andre nodded in approval, "Exactly, 1:14. That's not morning."

Jade smirked, "Maybe morning for Vega..."

Tori opened her mouth in disbelief, "One time and you refuse to let it down!" It was true. One time that she had made Jade late for a relatively unimportant appointment and since then, Jade had brought that up on multiple occasions, even before today. By Tori's estimates, it had to have been at least the seventh or eighth time.

"Children, children, please, no need to fight," Sikowitz insisted, raising his arms in hopes of establishing order. "Can't we just all prepare ourselves for the excitement that is to come as the bell rings and you are done for the week?"

"But it's Tuesday," Tori said, a little confused by Sikowitz's behavior.

Beck, who had been critically examining Sikowitz for the last couple of minutes in silence, finally spoke. "Did anyone else notice that he emerged from behind his desk? Meaning we sat here for like ten minutes for no reason?"

Tori turned her head towards him and nodded, "Or that beyond the fact that Rex is wearing a watch, he's wearing one that actually tells the right time?"

"Exactly!" Beck concurred.

Robbie injected him into the conversation, "So did I!"

Rex quickly interjected following Robbie's lie, "No you didn't! You still haven't noticed that it isn't New York time anymore!"

Andre chuckled, "Is that why you were late today?"

Jade huffed and leaned back in her seat, "Why doesn't that shock me?"

"Oh, that reminds me! This one time my brother was playing with my hair dryer and he took off the plastic and then used it..." Cat began, though everyone in the room was still trying to process what said would remind her of that.

And similarly, like many of Cat's stories, there was an awkward silence attributed to it. While much of the class simply waited, hoping that she would continue it on on her own, Andre finally blurted out, "And?"

"Hmm?"

Beck was slightly stunned. It was hard to be shocked by Cat, but every once in a while there were things that took him by surprise. This was one of them. "What happened next?"

Cat looked at Beck for a moment in confusion before finally remembering that she had begun a story, "Oh yeah! Yeah, he set his hair on fire! Smelled kinda funky."

The class simply sat there in silence, looking at Cat with various different looks, some confused, others more in absentia.

"Alright, well I'm glad that you all realized that I was lying to you. Now tell me, what did you think when I told you something that wasn't true, but still insisted on selling it like it was real." Sikowitz resumed with his lecture, giving no acknowledgement to Cat's odd story.

"That you drank some bad coconut juice!" Andre blurted out.

"You're suffering from delirium due to nightmares about gorillas!" Beck further contributed, his odd response garnering several light chuckles from the class.

"Your medication isn't working anymore," Jade also remarked, though it didn't garner much of a reaction from the class.

It did draw a reaction from Sikowitz, "No, no! And I just spoke to my doctor as a matter of fact, so no!" Humorously enough, his reaction was more like that of a school child than that of a professional. He returned to the point he was trying to make, "No, what I was doing was hoping to get you all excited, then to see you realize I was lying. I have to give you all credit though, you're more aware than my first period class was. Pretty much all of them fell for it."

"Well, makes you feel any better, you did get Robbie," Rex called out, causing several people in the class to laugh, Jade included.

Robbie protested, "No he didn't!"

Sikowitz rose his hands up again, hoping to silence the impending insult war between Rex and Robbie. "Robbie, no need to lie to the puppet. We know the truth. But the point that I was trying to make was about that, about disappointment, and how it plays into what you all may encounter. Now, some of you, not all, granted, but some will end up going to pursue degrees in entertainment. Maybe to become a better actor, a singer, dancer, maybe work behind the scenes, maybe you'll look to be a producer or a figurehead. Whatever! The reality, and honestly, the unfortunate reality is that not everyone is going to succeed, not everyone is going to end up having a great career."

Truth be told, the lecture that Sikowitz was giving, it was unlike what many of the students were at all used to. It was not often that he spoke in a negative manner. Always, he had been a teacher that would be there to give them encouragement, promoting the idea that there was no end to what they were capable of achieving. Now though, it seemed like a complete contrast to that. Or at the very least, a slightly more realistic, yet disappointing perspective.

"Now, that's a tragic thing to say, and as educators, we are supposed to encourage students, but it's also our responsibility to let you know that you may be entering an extremely contentious field. The fact is, that some of you, perhaps even many of you, will not achieve everything you set out for."

"That's sorta morbid," Andre solemnly said.

While he was disappointed, Jade appeared to be enjoying it, a wide smile on her face. "I like this lecture."

Beck looked over to Jade with a slightly surprised look on his face. "You do know that could be you, right?"

Jade shrugged her shoulders with indifference. "Could be. But right now I'm imagining it's Vega instead."

Tori rolled her eyes as she turned her head back to face Jade, "You realize I'm right here right?"

"You know you love it," Jade said, a smirk on her face.

Tori shot back a smirk of her own, "Well I mean, it's either you or Rex. Not exactly the most abundant in options."

"I'd take option C," Andre quickly said.

"What's option C?" Cat asked.

"Move to Antarctica?" Robbie contributed.

Andre shook his head, "Too cold."

Cat jumped with joy, "Oh, you could become a Penguin there!"

Again, Sikowitz silenced the class. He hadn't expected giving a lecture to be this challenging. "Children! Andre, you can entertain the masses with your get rich quick schemes later. Believe it or not, this is actually an important lecture I'm giving you. Now please, focus. Now, for anyone, the greatest trap that a person can find themselves locked into is falsely believing themselves destined for a life of greatness when there's nothing to support that notion."

Hearing that, Jade couldn't help but immediately put a face to that kind of person that Sikowitz was describing. And certainly other people might have been thinking the same thing. "Who's that sound like?"

Quick to pick up on it, Beck gave her a disproving look, "Shut it..." He knew exactly who she was speaking about, and while he might not have disproved of her opinion, he wasn't in much favor of it becoming a focal point of a class conversation.

Sikowitz continued, nodding to Beck in appreciation of him silencing Jade, "It's important to recognize that I am not dissuading from pursuing your goals. There is no shortage of singers who have come from nothing to make it in competitions or off lucky singles, writers who've published a particular work or happened to find their niche, actors who've drudged through commercials, paying their dues until they finally get that one role. For as daunting and limited as our industry appears to be at times, there's no lacking of potential. Now, one thing that you have all going in your favor is that you're from here, that you've been given at least some level of proficiency in whichever craft you've decided to pursue…"

"Why do I feel a but is coming?" Beck asked.

"What kind of a but?" Andre asked in response to Beck's question.

Sikowitz smirked, glad that nobody turned that into a naughtier remark, "The kind of but that has to remind you that just because you went to Hollywood Arts, it's not a be all, end all. There have been students who have gone to Hollywood Arts and have believed that they would strike it rich, only to crash and burn."

Tori rose her eyebrows in surprise. Besides the fact that what he was talking about perfectly described Trina, it sounded like there were numerous instances of this having happened in the past. She couldn't help but wonder just how many others had failed before them? And for that matter, how many of them might too? "That's harsh."

By this point, Jade was all smiles, "This Sikowitz is dark. I want more of this Sikowitz."

Sikowitz nodded his head at Jade's remark. It wasn't likely that she was going to see more of a dark Sikowitz, but he always appreciated constructive feedback about his methods. "My advice to you all is this. Treat each audition, treat each song you perform, every dance routine, whatever it might be, put as much effort and determination behind as anything else you've done before. Tori?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell us, what was the most daunting, most frightening performance you've given? Doesn't matter when."

Tori looked at him with confusion, with uncertainty," I, uh... I'm not sure."

"Come on now, I'm sure you know what that is."

Tori shrugged, "I suppose when Trina's tongue that enlarged, the first time I performed for Hollywood Arts, before I was accepted."

Sikowitz clapped his hands in joy, glad that Tori was able to come up with an example. "There you go. Jade," He pointed in Jade's direction, "what about you? When where you most panicked?"

Jade thought for a moment before she finally spoke. Similar to Tori, it seemed that she didn't have the easiest time finding a viable example. "I don't know. I guess when my dad came and watched my play. I wanted everything to go right."

To say that Sikowitz was pleased would be an understatement. It seemed like he was hoping that both Tori and Jade could give him an example, and the fact that they were able to was like a mini Christmas gift. "See, in both instances, we have two entertainers, in these cases two different crafts, both talented, and both acknowledging the fact that there was uncertainty, that things could have gone wrong. Now, we teach you to be confident, to own the stage, and that's absolutely true, but if you take nothing else away from this lecture, or even from this class, because very soon we will part ways. It is that you do not take your talent for granted."

It was clear that there was more that Sikowitz wanted to talk about, but between the length that his lecture had gone already, combined with his antics of sitting beneath his desk, he hadn't given much consideration to how quickly time had passed. Before he could say another word, the bell had rung, indicating the end of the day. Stopping short of saying something inappropriate, he bit his tongue and bid his farewell to the class, "Alright. I suppose that's it for today. Have a good day. Remember, just because the year's almost over doesn't mean you don't have to come to class!"

Taking their time to get out of the classroom, the group found themselves in no rush to leave. Especially in recent weeks, the traffic and rush that students made to get out of the school, into their cars, and out of the parking lot had become nothing more than a complete circus. Unless a student was out of the door by the time the final bell rang, they were looking at spending at least ten to fifteen minutes waiting to get out. As such, they found it was smarter just to sit around and kill time than wait in their cars, stuck in a slow moving line as the sun roasted them alive.

"You guys notice how, I don't know, depressing Sikowitz's lecture was today?" Robbie asked as he hastily threw books into his backpack, knowing the rest of the group wouldn't wait for him.

Andre nodded in agreement, "Yeah, like a real downer."

"Like an old balloon..." Cat frowned.

"I thought it was a great class, one of the best we've had," Jade said optimistically. Just in that alone, her positivity about it, it was enough reason for an outsider to question it.

Tori gave her an inquisitive look, "Even though for all anyone knows, you could be who he was describing."

Jade nodded, not in the least affected by how true Tori's words were. "Yeah. So could you, so could Andre, so could anyone. I mean, I could be wrong, but I think when you take the rest of our class and stack each one up next to each other, we stand out by decisive margins."

"Getting a little cocky, are we Jade?" Andre commented.

"I'm just speaking the truth. For some it hurts."

Tori wasn't entirely sure if in some way that was intended to be a shot at her or not. Given Jade, it was always a possibility, though it was more often than not the case that she didn't actually mean what she said. That of course was based on what she had come to understand over the last couple of years. "So, what are your guys' plans for today?"

Everyone seemed pretty quiet, like nobody had a concrete idea as to what they were thinking of doing. "I could go for some food," Andre suggested, knowing at least that Cat would be interested, if her earlier tantrum in class was any indication.

"But we just had lunch not even an hour ago," Robbie objected. It wasn't exactly a surprise that he wouldn't have been as much in favor of getting something to eat. Since Andre and Beck had introduced him to a physical regiment, Robbie had become on board one hundred percent. Some could have argued even that he was too devoted to it, and though the results weren't exactly as grandiose as he might have liked up to this point, he certainly was feeling better than he had in a while.

"Doesn't mean I got my fill! What about you Red? You up for grabbing some sushi?"

"Oh, I love sushi!" Cat bounced up and down with excitement. Sure, they were getting sushi, which she loved, but they were also getting food, which she wanted. As far as she was concerned, it was a win-win situation.

"How about you Robbie? I mean, yeah, we ate only a little bit ago, but still. Think of it like this. You can grab something for later if you wanted," Andre suggested. Even if he wasn't really all that hungry, the comradery might have been enticing enough, provided if he were to come along.

Robbie seemed conflicted. Surely on one hand he wanted to go, and that Cat was coming along would certainly be a motivating factor. But on the other hand, indulging his hunger would go against what the health center of his brain would encourage. "I shouldn't… But what the heck? Sure, I'll come too."

Andre turned to Tori, "You down?"

Tori smiled, "When have I ever not been up for sushi with amazing people?"

"I like that answer," Andre enthusiastically responded, holding his hand up, hoping for a high five, to which Tori obliged him. "Jade, Beck? You guys interested too?"

Jade shook her head, "Sounds like a fun time, but can't unfortunately. Gonna go see about our apartment."

Upon hearing apartment, Tori's interest immediately perked up. "Did we get it!?"

"I don't know. Got an email from them earlier saying to head over there. So, provided traffic isn't all that terrible, should know in maybe half an hour."

"So, more like an hour or so. You know, provided there aren't any accidents along the way," Beck said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, though still being for the most part serious.

"All good," Andre said enthusiastically, managing surprisingly well with regards to containing his excitement. The fact that Jade had told him about the apartment was incredible. That Tori was going to be a potential roommate too, an added bonus. Granted, the last time they were roommates wasn't the best time for either of them, but this was going to be different, he could already tell. "Let us know what happens."

"I will." With that, Jade began making her way towards the parking lot, Beck following behind.

After they were out of sight, and more importantly out of hearing distance, Tori finally spoke, "So, what's Beck doing after graduation? Does anyone know?"

Tori's question was met with blank stares and confused faces. Tori was quite surprised by that, that nobody knew where he was going. She had given Jade credit for being able to keep where she was going a secret for so long, but she hadn't figured Beck would be even more private. "Seriously? Nobody knows?"

"Apparently not," Andre said, acknowledging defeat. He could have sworn that he remembered Beck mentioning something at some point, but right now he was having trouble thinking of anything more than food. And even if he weren't, it'd be a longshot that he did actually remember.

Tori took a final look back in the direction that Beck and Jade had departed to. _Why hasn't he told us where he's going? Does he think we're going to be ashamed of him or something? I'll ask Jade later. Maybe she'll know._ Before she realized it, Andre, Robbie, and Cat had already started off towards the parking lot themselves, effectively leaving Tori alone. "Hey! Wait up!" She called out as she ran towards them.

* * *

 **...**

 **Nozu**

 **...**

"So what's this about an apartment?" Robbie asked, his chopsticks glancing back and forth from a variety of the rolls he had ordered, his mind struggling to determine which one he wanted next.

Andre tried to say something, but with the spicy tuna roll in his mouth, it sounded like nothing more than gibberish. Holding up a finger to tell them to wait, he swallowed and finally spoke, "Apparently this huge company created a big apartment complex right off UCLA's main campus. I'm talkin' like, really high quality. Shit you'd pay a couple grand monthly to live in normally."

Cat's eyes widened. "Just like in New York!"

"But most of the ones we saw were really cheap. New York City is just really expensive is all," Robbie remarked, his mind finally settling on a crab roll.

"Well Los Angeles isn't exactly cheap either," Tori added.

"True," Andre agreed. "But you saw that flyer that Jade had. You tell me the last time you saw one that nice, let alone one offered to freshmen?"

"Together? I don't think I have."

"Exactly. I mean, these are NICE apartments. Like, if a dude came up to me in the street and offered me one in exchange for a kidney, I'd probably do it."

"That's dedication right there," Robbie coolly said.

"Perhaps just slightly over the top," Tori reasoned.

The look on Andre's face indicated that he was surprised by Tori's reaction, quite a bit by the look of it. "Tori, you mean you wouldn't give anything to live in a place like that?"

Tori conceded. "Hey, I'm not saying they aren't nice. I'd love to live there, but let's say we don't get it. I have Jade as a roommate, so I mean, not the ideal situation, but still a viable one."

"You'd really live in a dorm with Jade?" Cat asked.

"Well I'd rather not live in a dorm at all. After reading all the horror stories that I've read. But if I didn't have any other options, I'd rather it be with her than a stranger."

Robbie gave her a credulous look. He couldn't imagine someone actually wanting to live with Jade in a space as confined as a dorm. That said, Tori was already planning on living in an apartment with Jade, so from that to a dorm wasn't an unreasonable proposal.

From out of nowhere, Cat seemed to jump up from her seat, causing everyone to shift their focus to her.

Reaching into her back pocket, Cat pulled out her phone, smiling as she shot a glance towards Robbie. "My ticket got approved!"

"Ticket for what?" Andre asked.

"My flight to New York."

"Another flight? Isn't it a little bit early to schedule a flight for August?" Tori asked, grabbing one of Andre's spicy shrimp rolls before he noticed.

"It's not for August."

A sense of concern suddenly came over Tori. _She's not leaving early is she? Oh, I really hope it's at least in like late July or something._ Forcing down her shrimp roll, a part of Tori didn't want to know when it might have been that Cat was leaving, though she'd feel worse if she didn't know. "Then… when are you leaving?"

"July 10th!" Cat said with excitement.

Tori couldn't help but find the excitement in Cat's voice a bit unnerving. Yes, she was going to NYU, she was going to be in New York City. But she was also going to be leaving one of her best friends, and Tori was already beginning to miss her. To top it off, the fact that she was leaving so early meant that they were only going to get a few weeks at most of hanging out before she was on a plane across the country.

"Are you OK Tori?" Cat asked, somehow instinctively knowing the mixed feelings within Tori.

Tori was hesitant to respond, not wanting to come off as disappointed but at the same time not wanting to lie to the girl either. "I guess… I guess I would have liked it if we had more time to enjoy our last summer is all."

"I know… I'm sorry…" Cat weepingly said as she got up from her seat and gave Tori a hug, to which Tori hugged back equally tight. For close to a minute, the two of them held one another, neither wanting to let go of the other, for as painful as it was, in a little over a month they were going to have to make the difficult adjustment of being limited to just texts, video chat, and calls. No more face to face communications or moments like this.

Finally, Tori let go, and Cat reluctantly did the same. From that point, there was a slightly eerie silence that seemed to take the group, which was quickly broken up by the sound of Andre's phone going off. Taking a quick look at it, he smiled as he showed the caller ID to Tori, "Jade" showing up on it.

"Hey Jade. Look, I'm going to put you on speaker, alright?" Putting the phone on the table, Andre wasted no time in dining on his sushi some more, Tori and Robbie both having taken at least a roll or two each in the short time that she was on call with Jade.

"What's up Jade?" Tori called out.

"Ugh… Here I was hoping Vega had left…"

"Love you too!" Tori sarcastically said.

"Anyways, what's the word Jade?" Andre said, smirking at Tori's sassiness.

"So, good news or bad news?"

Andre sighed, "Come on Jade? You gonna play these games with us?"

"You bet. So good news or bad news?"

"Bad news!" Cat yelled out with a suddenness to it.

"All the applications were filled out in about a day," Jade said from the other end of the phone, causing both Tori and Andre to look at each other in despair, thinking that they were too late.

Reluctantly, Tori spoke, "And the good news?"

There was a moment of silence as everyone waited to hear Jade speak again. "We were the fifty-sixth application…" There was an immediate lifting of feelings and reassurances at that news. If what Jade said was true, then they had just gotten perhaps the greatest college apartment that they could have ever hoped for.

"Are you serious Jade?" Tori stammered out, nearly choking on her food upon hearing the news.

"That it is… roomie…." There was a hint of devilishness to Jade's voice, but Tori wasn't worried about that right now. Her, Jade, and Andre were going to be roommates!

And even though the news about Cat leaving early was still bumming her out, this was certainly something to improve her spirits.

It also made the countdown towards college all the more excruciating, but soon to be that much more rewarding.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	25. Graduation

**Chapter 25. Graduation**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Vega Residence - June 16th, Senior Year**

 **...**

"Tori! Wake up!" The words seemed to be muffled by the hard banging on the door, both of which shattered the otherwise tranquil atmosphere that Tori couldn't help but feel as she drifted between sleep and being awaken again. Another set of heavy bangs on the door were again accompanied by her dad's loud voice, urging her to get up. "It's almost noon, dear. You'll have all the opportunities in the world to sleep in later, but today's not one of them!"

 _Ugh, what's so special about today?_ Tori thought to herself, her mind not wholly grasping the significance of the date, or for that matter even why her dad would be so interested regarding it. She lifted her head up slightly, only for the weight of it to cause it to fall back onto the pillow, the feeling of it encasing around her being one of pure bliss. "Five minutes," she mumbled, half of the pillow covering her mouth.

"Come on Tori! You can take a nap after the ceremony, but get up now!" Her dad again barked out, his voice not as loud, perhaps to a degree conceding, but more hoping that she'll get up on her own.

 _What ceremony?_ It took her a minute before she finally realized what he was talking about, and as it dawned on her, she moved in a singular, fluid motion, rushing out of the bed and proceeding into the bathroom across the hall. _Today's graduation!_

As the bathroom door slammed shut and the sound of the shower was heard faintly from downstairs, David Vega had a smirk on his face as he sipped from his cup of coffee. "Took her a bit longer than I figured it would have," he remarked, turning around towards his wife seated at the counter.

"At least she's up and moving," she rationalized. It was hit or miss when it came to Tori getting ready for anything, and while she typically was very good about getting ready, in the last couple of weeks she had become less and less inclined to wake up early. _End of the year fatigue,_ Holly reasoned.

A couple of minutes later, Tori rushed down the stairs, it being a minor miracle that she didn't trip over her feet with how quickly and with as much reckless abandonment as she was showing. It took David Vega by surprise, simply watching the act, partially in awe that there wasn't actually an accident. As Tori made her way – now with a calm, relaxed pace – towards the coffee machine, David couldn't help but stare at the foot of the staircase. "You know… I think we might wanna consider setting up like a gym mat. You know the ones, like those blue ones that gymnastic routines are done on? Just put it a little barricade near there, reinforce it with that. Never shall we have to worry about our daughter busting her head open."

"Wow, dad. I'm flattered by the trust that you have in me," Tori sarcastically said, pouring large quantities of sugar into her coffee, the amount being enough to leave David in awe.

"I'm a father. It's my job to worry about my kid. Just like it's my job to worry that she either has an unhealthy addiction to sugar or that she's spending way too much time up and not getting enough sleep because of it."

"Uh, I'll go with door number three," Tori joked. Really it wasn't so much of either, a sugar addiction or just really bad sleep habits. She was just a girl that really liked to sleep, but everyone from Jade, to Andre, to her dad viewed it as something negative. "But… if you wanna talk about bad sleeping habits, how's forcing students to wake up at like the crack of dawn to get to early classes, earlier than even colleges offer."

"She brings up a fair point David," Holly remarked, garnering a smile from Tori.

"Well, as much as it might be awful and troubling for a young high school senior, that is their job. Just as it is mine to congratulate my daughter on surviving through all those years of pain-staking, awful rise and shine conditions." He joked as he gave Tori a hug.

In all truth, this was a very special day for everyone. Beyond the fact that it was the graduation day for the Hollywood Arts Senior Class, but also the fact that it would be the first one for the Vega family. While none of them were expected to bring up the issues and faults that were Tori's sister, Trina, it was always assumed to an extent that upon her failure that an added burden had been put upon Tori's shoulders. That she had managed to not only live up to this added pressure, but actually managed to overcome it, it made it all the more memorable and special for David and Holly.

"We're so proud of you Tori," David said as he kissed her forehead, Tori blushing slightly at this. Looking up, she could see that he looked like he might have been tearing up. _I've been up for less than a half hour and already he's looking like he's going to cry. I can't imagine how he's going to be during the actual ceremony._

* * *

 **...**

 **The West Residence**

 **...**

"Jade. Your friend is here," Mr. West said, giving little to no indication as to who he might have been referring to, which Jade was from surprised by. In truth, she was actually a bit impressed that he was able to recognize that a person coming to their house might have been a friend of hers.

"Which one?" She asked as she slowly sipped from her cup of coffee, still too tired to really register much of what was going on other than that for some reason, her father was here. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him walk back towards the door. _That doesn't surprise me. Not even ten seconds and forgets everything about them._

"The hyper one," he called out, and immediately her mind narrowed that down to the only viable contender. Turning her head, she smirked as her suspicions were confirmed, Cat rushing towards her, stopping just shy of giving her a tight hug, noticing just how dead Cat looked.

"Hey there Mrs. Valedictorian! Ready for today!?" Cat exclaimed, her eyes darting back and forth between Jade and her coffee mug, eagerly awaiting the moment when she finished drinking.

Jade took a few more sips, not giving any response to Cat, instead just holding up a single finger, indicating for her to wait. Finally, as she tasted the last bit of coffee reach her lips, she put down the mug and turned towards the excited redhead. Smiling, she nodded, "Alright."

She expected that Cat's grip was going to be tight; it was only natural to assume that with her, but this was certainly not what she was expecting. Tight was an understatement to describe it. Suffocating was probably the best term. Jade could literally feel her ribs pressing against her internal organs, making it all the more difficult to breath. She began to push Cat away, for a minute afraid that she might actually break a rib or something.

Cat was taken by surprise with Jade's actions. Never before had she been pushed away with the person showing such fervor. Her eyes looked like they might have started watering, unsure of how to interpret what just happened but regarding it as an act of rejection. "Jade?" She asked weakly.

Her friend was still seated at the counter, though holding her side as she took heavy breaths, hoping to compose herself. There was one thing that was certain though and that was there were no further reason to assume that she wasn't wide awake now. "It's ok Cat. Just a little tight is all," she winced. _Damn she is fucking strong…_

Thrilled that Jade wasn't mad at her, Cat had a wide smile on her face. The sound of what seemed like a door being slam shut upstairs detracted that. "I didn't know your dad was here. He arrive recently?"

Jade had a look of indifference. "I stopped noticing. I mean, why bother? He'll show up for a little bit, then disappear again. No notice, no nothing. Just one day he's here, the next he's gone."

"But I thought you loved having your dad here," Cat said, trying to convince herself that there was a time that she recalled seeing Jade excited about her father being there. None came to mind, as hard as she tried to remember. "Anyways!" She quickly moved onto a different topic, one far more encouraging than perhaps talking about Jade's dad, "You excited for today?"

Jade thought for a moment before nodding, but it wasn't entirely convincing. "I am."

"You don't sound all that excited."

"I'm as excited as ants at a picnic, Cat."

Jade's remark left Cat confused. "Ants at a picnic? What does that mean?"

"Well, you know. Like ants are attracted to food and stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Well, at a picnic, there's food."

"Right."

Jade hoped that Cat could put two and two together, "So, you get it?"

Cat remained as lost as she did before, it seemed. "That doesn't make sense. Ants are allergic to picnic blankets. Why would they ever be near a picnic?"

All Jade seemed able to do was look at Cat, mystified at what she had just heard. Really, if there was any train of thought that she had, it had been completely wiped away by the shear absurdity of what Cat had just said. Silence remained for a little bit as Jade tried to collect her thoughts. Cat seemed to still struggle to understand what Jade had meant, going through the scenario in her head multiple times.

"So Cat, you excited for today?"

Cat looked like she was ready to jump right out of her skin in excitement! "Oh my God! So excited! Like, you don't even know!"

* * *

 **...**

 **The Harris Residence**

 **...**

In spite of how important today was for all of them, Andre treated it no different than any other day. _Wake up early, have some cereal, write some music, go back to bed, wake up again, take a shower_. It was the mantra that he lived by for a long while, and - even with the challenges that his grandmother imposed upon the home life – it was one that he had always managed to follow. That was, when time permitted. Going to Hollywood Arts had made actually following through on that mantra much more difficult than what he was willing to invest in, so it became more of a tradition for either weekends or days when there were no school, seldom as they were.

"Andre!" His grandmother called out from upstairs bathroom.

"Yeah Grandma?" He nonchalantly yelled back. Even before hearing what it was that scared her this time, he began to run through the possible things, including toothbrushes, the toilet, showerheads, floor mats, and the loofah. _Which things hasn't she freaked about? Toilet paper? Nah, she got scared of that last month, thought there was a mummy using the room to do laundry._

"Andre! The water pipes are broken and pouring out water!"

"Water pipes?" He said to himself. _Oh! The sink!_ He got up from the kitchen table and proceeded towards the base of the stairs. She probably could have heard him the other room, but chances are any sort of back and forth exchange – which often happened – would be that much more difficult the more obstruction there was between them. "Just turn the faucets!"

"Turn the what!?"

Andre shook his head. He couldn't wait to be out of here and in their new apartment. For as frightening as the prospect of living with Jade might have been, he knew that she couldn't have been as bad as this was at times. "The smaller pipes on the sides! Turn them!"

He hoped that that would be that, but a scream from upstairs only proved to be further from the truth.

"There's more water Andre! I turned the smaller pipe and now there's even more water!"

"Turn them the other way!"

"It stopped! Thanks Andre!"

"No problem, Grandma," Andre mouthed quietly. He marveled at how long it seemed he had managed to survive with her for so long, but he also worried how she was going to fair without him. He had in the past looked at retirement homes and homes for the elderly and for those in special needs, but he couldn't bring himself to. To put her in one of those homes would be something that would just eat away at him until there was nothing left of him.

A knock on the front door brought him back to the present.

"Andre! There's a tiny ghost up here!"

Andre sighed. "It's just the front door Grandma. Someone's there."

"Tell them we don't want them here!"

Opening the door, Andre couldn't help but show a smile at seeing Beck Oliver standing there. "Sup Andre," he casually said, stepping backwards to allow Andre out of the door. "Your grandma?"

"Always something with her," he lamented. "But that's only for a little bit longer!"

"Heh, excited I take it?"

Andre nodded intensely. "Dude, you have no idea. I was reading up on stories about the dorms and shit, man did we luck out on this like nobody's business!"

Beck couldn't help but smirk at Andre's excitement. "I was actually talking about today. You know, graduation and all? Don't get me wrong though. The apartments are pretty nice too!"

"Oh yeah! Sorry man, the days have just kinda blurred together lately. Kinda forgot that that was today."

"You remembered to pick up your cap and gown though, right?"

"Absolutely. No way I was going to forget that!" He lied. If it were not for Tori calling him to remember to pick up his cap and gown, it was almost a guarantee that Andre would have been without one for today. "So, what time you going?"

Beck scratched his head, "I don't know. I'm going to Jade's at about 4:30 or so. Maybe, 5 or 5:30 when we actually get there. What about you?"

"I'm going to Tori's at around 5. I know Cat is going to be there by then. I forgot what's going on with Robbie."

"I think he's arriving with Cat," Beck contributed.

Andre nodded and then stared blankly for a moment. Then there suddenly appeared a wide grin on his face. One with which Beck took notice of, "What?"

Andre turned to Beck. "I'm just thinking. You and Jade going together. Cat and Robbie going together. Me and Tori… It's like future couples all going together."

Beck rose an eyebrow, "What happened to it was just purely coincidence that you and Tori were going to the same school?"

"No, that's still the case. I mean, how was I know to know that we would both end up there?"

He didn't believe it before when Andre made the excuse, and he didn't still. "So, I'm guessing that you're just saying you and Tori, that's all wishful thinking I take it?"

Andre snapped his fingers and nodded, "Wishful thinking? I don't know entirely about that. I like to think of it more as… logical probability!"

Beck chuckled slightly at Andre's reasoning.

"What's so funny about that?" Andre asked, a little bit offended by Beck's dismissal.

Beck backed off, "Nothing. Just… Just I don't wanna see you get all riled up and then get hurt. You're like my brother. I don't wanna see you broken."

Andre rose an eyebrow at Beck's honest remark. "You don't think it could happen?"

"Hey, I have no idea. All I'm saying is, with all Tori's been through in the last year, a relationship might be the last thing she's thinking about."

"You could be right. Either way, whatever happens, she'll at least know that I'll be there for her."

* * *

 **...**

 **Hollywood Arts**

 **...**

By the time that 5:00 had rolled around, pretty much as predicted everyone had arrived at Hollywood Arts, all adorned in their red, gowns. To those who were graduating, it was a surreal feeling, knowing that they were on their way out of the teaching and nurturing that Hollywood Arts had provided for them over the past several years. It was also a warm feeling to know that they were on their way to fulfilling their own dreams, wherever it might have been that that would lead them.

Tori, Jade, and Andre, the three of them were only a few months away from beginning college at UCLA, each of them following their passions, Tori as a performer, Andre as a musician, and Jade as a screenwriter. Robbie and Cat, in just under a month the two of them would leave – much to the dismay of the group – to New York City, getting themselves familiar with the city as they prepare attend NYU, Cat for Singing and Robbie for Ventriloquism. Unbeknownst to the group, Beck was the odd one out, not looking at attending any sort of college, instead continuing to perfect his craft as an actor.

Each one had their own goals that they were going to follow, their own dreams. But tonight was as much going to serve as the precursor to these paths as it was the reality that their time at Hollywood Arts, everything that they had learned, following tonight there would be little more the school would do for them. They would be on their own, to a greater extent.

"Oh my God! We did it!" Tori exclaimed in joy as she jointly grabbed Jade and Cat in a tight bear hug, Cat receptively hugging in return, while Jade – reluctantly – joined, though putting much less effort into hers. "I can't believe that it's almost over…"

"You sound like you're about to cry, Vega." Jade remarked. It was remarkable how strange and conflicted her relationship with Tori made her feel at times. In some cases, she would love to see Tori reduced to tears, but given the circumstances, what today was, that would probably cause as much to her as it would Tori.

"I am not!" Tori rebutted, taking a deep breath and recomposing herself.

Beck patted Jade on the shoulders, careful not to mess up the white valedictorian sash that had been carefully adorned around her neck. "If… and emphasis on if, someone were to cry, it probably goes without saying that it would be out of joy. By all accounts, any of us might. Tis a time for celebration after all!"

"Indeed," Andre exclaimed in his most British accent he possibly could.

Tori shot the musician a curious look, "What was that accent? Planning a trip to England in the near future?"

"Absolutely! Care to join me?"

Tori laughed slightly, "Sure. We'll leave tonight!"

Jade rolled her eyes and Beck simply chuckled to himself.

"Don't get his hopes up," Jade scoffed.

"Hey Tori," Cat asked, having spent a bit of time now focused on Tori's gown. "Why do you have a yellow band thing?"

"That's a good question," Beck said, as now everyone began to look at it with curiosity. There were a number of cords that were given out, depending on the clubs or organizations that the students might have been in. For example, for being on the Ping Pong team, each of them had been given a cord that was sky blue in color.

"That was what I was curious about too," Tori began. "They said that it was because I performed in the Senior Showcase. Apparently it's a way to show the people who didn't attend that the people performed."

"Like a badge of honor," Robbie commented.

"Yeah, like that."

A bit of random conversation took place between the group before Beck subtly pulled Jade out of the group. Confused as to why, Jade looked right at Beck, "What was that about?"

Beck shrugged, "Just wanted to ask you a question. You finish your speech?"

"Yeah, got it done last night. Why?"

"Curious is all. How many times do you swear in it?"

Jade tilted her head at Beck, "You think I would do something like that? In a speech meant to reflect the brightest of our graduating class?"

Beck simply looked at her, not believing a word that she said.

"Alright. Like three or four times. Something like that." She simply looked at the expression on Beck's face, slightly surprised that she did actually admit to that. "What's the big deal?"

"You realize that there'll be kids in the audience right?"

"And?"

"Young kids…"

"So? Kids are swearing right out of the womb now thanks to the Internet. Not like I'm saying anything new to them." Jade flashed a devilish smile as she returned to the group. Beck sighed and joined with her.

"Jade West! Where is Jade West!?" The booming voice that almost caused Tori to turn pale as a ghost quickly echoed throughout the hallways of the campus as Principal Helen marched through, looking for Jade. Finally, when she revealed herself and stepped away from the group, immediately the large woman made a beeline towards her, as if immediately being able to detect where she was. "There you are! You have everything ready?"

Jade rolled her eyes. As if she hadn't just gone over this with Beck like a minute earlier. "Yes, I have my speech ready."

"You know the routine and everything?"

"Yes Helen. You speak first, introduce me, I give my speech, you speak again, and then we go through and give diplomas out. I got it." Jade's voice reeked of disinterest, though it didn't seem that Helen picked up on that at all.

"Oh good! Let's knock them dead!" Even though she seemed to come off as widely excited, Tori couldn't help but notice that Helen shot her an evil looking glance, if even only for a brief second, but she couldn't tell for certain if that might have been paranoia from her encounter earlier in the year.

"Let's get to it," Jade remarked, her tone being a bit callous but her being excited nonetheless.

* * *

 **...**

 **Hollywood Arts' Outdoor Field**

 **...**

As the parents and family of those graduating filled up the last of the seats, it seemed like everyone was on edge, the students ready to get their diplomas and no longer have to wait for their summer to officially begin, as well as the parents who now could see the end result of the past four years of their children's lives. On stage there sat several students, Jade West among them. Tori, Andre, Beck, Robbie, and Cat all sat within the rows of red that occupied the first several rows in the outdoor stage set up for the occasion.

Helen rose up from her seat on stage and reached for the microphone, tapping it a few times, causing a loud feedback to echo through the loudspeakers set up. "Welcome everyone, to the graduation of Hollywood Arts' 2012 Senior Class!" Applause roared, more from the parents than the students. "I can see that our parents and family attending are quite excited, and with good reason. This year's class, I must say I am beyond thrilled to have been with them for a few years. It is an incredibly talented bunch and credit must be given to everyone who has helped get them to this point. Their teachers, the guidance counselors, their loving families, and of course, the credit also belongs to them. If not for the hard work of these students, well this would be a much different evening for some of you." She laughed at this joke, but it did not come off well, few if any parents laughing or applauding this joke. Helen blushed very slightly at this, "Yes. Well… Please welcome this year's valedictorian, Jade West!" Helen took her seat as Jade got up, much to the roaring applaud of Tori and company, their loudness singling them out from within the crowd.

Jade adjusted the microphone and took a deep breath before beginning with her speech. "So, I didn't bother spending a lot of time coming up with a traditional valedictorian speech. I think that's stupid. It's what you'd normally get and as a friend of mine has said before, normal's boring. I mean, among us graduating we have a guy who collects teeth, a guy who's best friend is a puppet, and however many people who none of us have ever seen before. If someone has a number, let me know. I kept losing count after the tenth or so. More to the point, I don't know most of you. I'm not friends with most of you, but hey, at least you graduated. Congratulations. That's going to be the only ones we get from here on out."

"We're graduating from Hollywood Arts, the prestigious high school of the talent and those who managed to somehow pass an audition. Everyone is going to treat us like we have targets on our back, so we might as well embrace it. Appreciate that. You walk into an audition, a play, whatever it might be, remember the fact that once they realize you're from Hollywood Arts, that they're going to see you as the number one threat to them. Make sure they fear you. Because everyone is going to expect you to be something special, they're going to expect that you'll be able to show up and own the spotlight. Which is why you should expect that every single one of them are going to hope you fail."

"They hate us because they ain't us. Simplest way to describe it. Oh, you're from California, aren't you special? Damn right I am. Oh, you're from LA? I bet you think you're fancy? Damn right I do. Oh, you graduated from Hollywood Arts? I guess you think you're going to be a star or something? Well I damn sure know I'll get further than you. One teacher told me that cockiness is unbecoming. It's not being cocky when you're just better. Against however many people apply to this school each year, we were better than them in our auditions. Of the students that flunk out, fail, give up, transfer, die, end up in a coma, whatever their excuse might be, we finished. We showed that we were better. Compared to everyone else that thinks that they have the talent, that they're destined to shine, just remember that we got here to this point, and they didn't. They couldn't."

"Wherever you go, even you seemingly infinite crowd of nondescript characters, remember that you're from Hollywood Arts. Measure yourself against the people who failed to get in, those who can't say that they graduated from Hollywood Arts. And then remember this important thing. If a guy who's best friend is a damn puppet can get into the school, what does that tell you about everyone else? So bear that in mind when you go into your next audition, that even someone like that could make it here, but your competition couldn't, then there is no reason to assume you won't all get what we want."

"So congratulations Class of 2012. Let's make sure that we end up winning more total awards than any class that preceded us or that follow us."

The entire crowd burst into thunderous applause. If there was one thing that was abundantly clear, it was that Jade's speech was unique. It didn't so much celebrate their class but rather diminish everyone else who wasn't them, which while unorthodox or not entirely appropriate for a typical speech, the fact that it was Jade who gave it made it entirely appropriate. And the students were wholly aware of that, and it seemed that even the families understood that as well. Perhaps they knew just who Jade was, or maybe it was just them following the students' lead. Either way, it was certainly a glorious speech, one that – other than Helen – everyone seemed to love.

With a wicked smirk on her face, Jade took her seat again on stage as Helen stepped back to the microphone. "Thank you Jade for that… speech. Now then at this point forward, I will be going through the 2012 Class and presenting students with their diplomas. When I call your name, please make your way up the stage and accept this, an acknowledgement and celebration of your completion of the time and work you dedicated during while here at Hollywood Arts…"

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	26. One Last Hollywood Blowout

**Chapter 26. One Last Hollywood Blowout**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Vega Residence - July 7th, Senior Year**

 **...**

 **Tori Vega: Woke up realizing that Cat's leaving in 3 days….**  
 **Feeling: Terrified**

Her status on TheSlap said it all. The fact was, in only three days' time, Cat Valentine and Robbie Shapiro were set to board a plane and fly out from Los Angeles to New York City, a move that – although inevitable – was happening way too early.

And Tori wasn't ready for that.

Even though she and the rest of the gang who were staying in Los Angeles made sure to see them as much as they could, to get as much time in with them as possible, the fact that not just that the two of them were leaving, but that the majority of them would end up going to UCLA together, it made the whole thing feel wrong. _It's gonna be just like any other day at Hollywood Arts, only no Robbie, Cat, or Beck I suppose._ For the greater part of the last two months, she had been struggling to find out just where it was that Beck might have enrolled and got accepted to, but so far she had found nothing. _Is he joining the Army or something? Would they let a Canadian join?_

As she took her morning shower, the sound of her phone going off in the other room was otherwise silent, drowned out through two solid, closed doors, along with the sound of the pouring water pounding down around her. Fifteen minutes later, she was finally out of the shower, and as Tori resumed with her daily morning ritual, the faint sound of her ring tone finally got her attention. Hearing it but not believing it herself, she looked around the counter, knowing that she had brought her phone into the bathroom with her. Once it dawned on her that she hadn't, she practically ran through the bathroom door and her own, fearing the worst.

The ring tone stopped playing before she had even gotten through her room's own door and Tori cursed at knowing that she had missed the call. In particular, what frustrated her was the fact that she knew who had called and the fact that it was a call that she was actually looking forward to. Grabbing her phone, she took a deep breath, her blood boiling at seeing '4 Missed Calls'. _Did she really call me 4 times? Jeez…_ Further examining the call, she noticed that actually only two of them had been from Jade. One of them was just an automated message from the Golisano Apartments, reminding her of the move-in date. August 30th, the day that she had marked down on her calendar multiple times.

But the fourth number, it was one that she had seen a few times before. Once a month, Tori got a call from them, but she never answered. Besides the fact that she wasn't familiar with the number, but also that they never called a second time and never left a message, she collectively used it as reason not to answer. Apparently that didn't stop whomever it was from calling.

Dismissing the call as just a random prank call, Tori began to get ready, hoping that Jade had called about what they discussed before. Going through her contacts, she prepared to go out for the day as the dial tone was heard as she set the phone to speaker.

No answer at first, just the ring.

"Oh, come on Jade. Answer the phone," Tori groaned as she started putting her shoes on.

"Yeah? What is it?" Jade's voice played from the other end of the phone.

Tori couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the apparent grumpiness displayed. "Well… Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed!"

"No! Just I'm not a fan of calling someone and not getting a response. Not just once mind you, but twice! I think I deserve a little apology, wouldn't you agree?"

Tori chuckled silently. _Of course. What would bring more satisfaction to Jade than having Tori Vega apologize to her._ A part of her wanted to say something else, maybe some a bit more, uncharacteristic. But knowing Jade, she also knew that she would withhold the plans for today until much later, and given what was to happen in the coming days, Tori didn't need any additional stress. "Fine!"

"Fine what?" Jade made no effort in hiding that she was enjoying it. Even though she wasn't there in person, Tori could see her with a wicked grin on her face.

"I'm sorry," she lamented.

"Sorry for what exactly? Don't you mean sorry for not answering your two calls because apparently I thought I had something better to do than to find out how I could help prepare for Cat and Robbie's going away party?"

"Hey! I said I was sorry!" Tori whined. "But! But in my defense, I was in the shower when you called."

"And you didn't think to so much as dry off your arm, click the button that said answer and put it on speaker?"

Tori paused for a moment, realizing that to an extent, Jade had a point. _I could have done that. But wait, no! No I couldn't have!_ Standing in front of the mirror in her room now, Tori decided to kill some of however long this conversation would last for by modelling which pair of sunglasses she might wear today. "Two things to that. One, I doubt you would have wanted to hear me as I took a shower, now would you?"

There was a very brief intermission between that and when Jade actually responded, "Fair point."

"And two, I didn't have my phone with me. I… I kinda forgot it in my room and didn't realize until I was out."

The silence was even longer this time around. "Nice going, Tori."

"Yeah, I know, I know. So, what's the plan for today?" Tori asked, frustrated that none of the frames she had tried up to this point seemed to match the intended look she was going for.

"Alright, so apparently Andre spoke with Lane who apparently spoke with Helen who apparently said that we're free to use Asphalt Café for tonight."

"That's a lot of apparently's," Tori remarked, having to wonder herself how much of that, if any, might have been true. Very quickly another question popped into her mind, "You know how Andre managed it?"

"No idea."

 _Well that's great. Tomorrow Helen's going to make us clean the entire school or something for a whole week probably…_ Tori grinned in disappointment. She didn't like the idea that Andre may have committed some deal with the devil in order to get them access to the Café. Still, for as much as she might not have liked the lack of details, she was impressed that he pulled it off nonetheless.

"Who's all coming? Did he at least give some idea as to that?"

"Dude, I know as little about who's coming as you do. All he said was that he was bringing the squad. Whatever that means."

Tossing the final pair of sunglasses aside, Tori looked defeatedly at the mirror for a moment before determining that her without would be more than fine. "When has Andre ever said 'bringing the squad?'"

Jade's laugh played through the phone, "That's what I said. Anyways, Andre I'm about to head out and meet Andre and Beck at Hollywood Arts. You're at least out of the shower now, right?"

Tori rolled her eyes. _Never going to let me live it down, are you Jade?_ "Yes… Yes I am Jade. And no, I will not take half an hour to get ready."

"Good. So you'll be there in what? Ten minutes?"

Tori walked over towards the phone and glanced at it quickly, seeing the time on it read 11:38 AM. "Probably more like fifteen. If I'm not there by noon though, feel free to give me all the grief you'd like."

"looking forward to it. See you then."

"Bye Jade."

Taking a final look around her room, ensuring that there wasn't anything that she might have forgotten – even though she wasn't expected to bring anything – she closed the door as she headed out to meet with the others, determined to get there before noon.

 **...**

 **The Asphalt Cafe**

 **...**

"She's gonna be late. I can feel it," Jade confidently said, seated at the table which they had eaten at seeming every day for the past couple of years.

"You called her when? 11:30? More than enough time, even for someone like Tori," Andre said with a hint of optimism. As well, he would have rather that Jade didn't spend all day irritating Tori; perhaps then it would be more likely that things would be done in a timely manner. After all, Helen had only given them permission to be on campus tonight.

"But it IS Tori though. I mean, she's never on time!" Jade protested, her eyes telling the picture of a girl who desperately wanted to be proven right.

"Oh come on now. She's not ALWAYS late. Does she cut it close? No doubt," Beck reasoned. He found himself pacing back and forth between several of the tables, not out of impatience but rather due to a general uneasiness about being back here. The had graduated less than a month ago. The last thing he figured was to be back here again, at after so little time has passed.

"Whatever. I'm telling you, she's going to be late. It's like what?" She paused for a moment to check her phone, "It's already 11: 50. I'm telling you, by now she's probably just leaving her house."

"Ten minutes? It'd be tough but she could pull it off."

"Yeah," Beck snickered, "Assuming there was no traffic, no lights, and she was speeding."

Jade just glanced at Andre, wanting for him to accept defeat, "There's no way."

Andre bit his lip, not wanting to concede just yet. But even he couldn't deny the fact that assuming Tori hadn't already left, it wasn't much in her favor.

"I'm here!" A voice called out.

The trio turned their heads as one collective unit, all of them surprised – though Jade was particularly shocked – to see Tori Vega emerging from her car, skipping with glee as she proceeded towards them, almost having a sixth sense that they doubted she would have been there. "You look like you just saw a ghost, Jade."

Jade chuckled aloud, having been so confident a moment ago and already knowing that the roles would be reversed, and she would be the one getting the grief. "I'm at a loss for words," she said, throwing her hands up in bewilderment.

"If you couldn't already tell, she didn't have much confidence in you," Beck remarked, smiling as he glanced at Jade.

"Beck didn't either," Andre added, giving his friend a wide grin.

Tori frowned upon hearing how little either of them believed that she would arrive on time. After all, today is a special day. "You guys really thought I'd be late?" Her voice was high, having an almost whining effect to it.

Everyone looked away, not even Andre wanting to make eye contact with Tori. It was obvious that Jade didn't believe so, but having already been proven wrong, she'd rather not give the Latina any further indulgences. Beck was also a great deal suspect that Tori'd be on time, as did Andre, but neither wanted to explain themselves to Tori. It wouldn't be hard to assume that Jade would think she was late, but Tori had a bit more confidence in the guys.

Tori simply sighed and took a seat at the table, ironically enough in the exact same spot that she always seemed to, just across from where Jade always sat – and where she happened to be right now. "So Andre," Tori spoke, her voice a little meek, "What'd you have to do to get Helen to let us throw a party here?"

"You didn't volunteer us for something stupid, did you?" Jade asked, tilting her head and glaring at Andre, having little reason to suspect that he didn't set up some ridiculous scheme beforehand.

"Nope," Andre said as he flashed a wide grin. "All I had to do was promise that I wouldn't upload a video of Jade's graduation speech."

Jade's mouth fell to the ground as Beck and Tori began laughing hysterically. "My graduation speech? That bitch has a problem with my speech?" Jade's voice was full of anger, so much so that Tori couldn't help but feel a bit unsafe being even just a meter or so away from her.

Andre held up his arms as he found himself taking several steps back. It had been a while since he had seen Jade get as angry as she just did, and he could already feel the adrenaline rushing through him, just like if a person were holding a weapon to him. "Jade! I didn't say it!"

"You just said it!" Jade barked out. Right now she was probably as anger, if not angrier at herself for not having a pair of scissors on her person. Though, even if she had a pair, she wasn't exactly sure she'd use it on. Helen preferably, but there was no reason to assume that she would be anywhere near here. Andre? No. Beck? No. Tori? As tempting as that might be, it wasn't an option either. Realizing and begrudgingly coming to terms with the fact that there wasn't anything more she could do, Jade did her best to calm down, taking a series of deep breaths.

Even as it looked like Jade was calming down, there was a level of uneasiness to the whole thing, and Andre – being the bearer of bad news – was perhaps the most timid about further inciting Jade. Cautiously taking a step forward, first ensuring that Jade wouldn't lash out at him at a moment's notice, Andre proceeded towards the table, finally taking a seat next to Tori, aiming to be as far away from Jade as he could be. "Anyways, the point is that she said we're welcome to throw our going away party for Cat and Jade. As long as nobody's arrested and there aren't any noise complaints, we're golden."

"Noise complaints? Does she not know where we are? Literally every hour of the day there are people filing noise complaints," Beck said.

"Won't be a problem," Tori said with a surprising hint of optimism. Usually she was the one who'd be more inclined to be worried about something like that, at the idea of breaking the rules. Jade couldn't help but wonder if even in this brief moment they were seeing a new side of Tori. "So Andre," Tori began as she turned to face her friend, still slightly worried about Jade, "Who'd you invite?"

Andre shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to bring much attention to himself and preferring to appear mysterious. "Like I told Jade, I brought the squad."

* * *

 **...**

 **Later That Night**

 **...**

Tori looked at Jade who gave her a similar look of confusion, before again focusing on Andre. "What does that mean?"

"So Vega," Jade began, clearly still in a bit of awe at the sight before her.

"Yeah Jade?" Responded the Latina who stood beside her, perhaps as shocked if not more than her friend.

"Did you expect this?"

Tori didn't even answer, instead just slowly shaking her head. How could she have expected this? Or how could anyone for that matter? Andre said that he had invited a 'squad'. Tori assumed that that meant a few people, possibly a couple dozen people at most.

Not their entire graduating class.

And that was pretty much who all was there. Well over a hundred students all having the time of their lives as their impromptu party quickly developed into a huge blowout. And as time went on, more and more students continued to flood the area. Tori was just mystified; never had she seen a social event through Hollywood Arts generate this large of a buzz.

 _I thought we'd just have a small thing, a way for us to say goodbye to our good friends. I don't know how he did it, but damn Andre pulled off something impressive._

"Awesome party Tori!" Some random guy remarked to Tori, breaking her out of her shocked state.

In a swift motion, Tori practically lunged herself at the man, "Hey, you mind if I ask you a quick question?"

"Sure," the guy said.

"How'd you hear about this?" Tori asked, trying as hard as she could to put a name to the guy before her, coming up completely blank.

"Andre shot me and my boys a text."

"You mind if I see it? The text I mean." Perhaps the guy would say no – which she wouldn't have been surprised by – but she hoped it wouldn't be the case.

"Of course," the guy said, not at all seeming offended or otherwise irritated by the request, much to Tori's surprise.

As well, Tori was surprised just at what the text was that spurred all of this celebration.

 _ **throwin a goodbye party 4 Cat and Robbie tonight at HA! Bring food, come by! – Andre**_

"Wow…" Tori mouthed silently as she just looked at the text for a moment, taking in just how that, as vague as it was, managed to draw in as much interest and people as it did. Looking back at the guy, Tori smiled, "Thanks."

The guy nodded and began to walk away as Tori returned back to Jade, who had finally begun to accept that this party was just going to continue growing.

"Andre's a magician," Tori remarked as Jade looked at her and smiled. It was true. He turned a verbal agreement to not show a video into the right to use their old school as their personal party place. He turned a single text into well over a hundred guests, most of them bringing snacks, food, drinks, music, everything. In the end, this wasn't going to cost any of them a dime.

Jade looked on for a short bit longer before she patted Tori on the shoulder, grabbing the Latina's attention. "I'm going to go find Beck. Enjoy yourself, Tori."

Tori couldn't help but find herself a bit speechless at that little surprise. Jade had called her Tori. Jade almost never called her Tori. It was pretty much always just Vega, or butthead, or some other sort of insult, but not Tori.

"Tori!"

She didn't register at first who it was that called out to her, but in the seconds following it, she realized just who it was. The girl who all this was for. Cat Valentine.

"Cat!" Tori yelled out as she found herself running towards a quickly moving Cat, the two of them practically colliding in a unique, double-bear hug moment of impact. "So glad you made it!"

Cat winced very slightly yet equally squealing in delight as she tightened her grip around Tori. Effectively the two of them were in a battle of wills, with one of them inevitably going to release their grip first, the only question being who. And in this case it was the veteran who pulled out the win, as Tori finally released her grip as she found herself gently pushing Cat away. The redhead, recognizing this, also released her grip. In the moment following, as Tori caught her breath and Cat softly massaged her sides, the two burst out laughing.

Finally, they both calmed down, Cat had a large smile on her face, "Of course! I wouldn't miss a party!" She looked around, amazed at everyone who was there, many of them being people she had never seen before. Even during graduation, it seemed like most of the people were just blank canvases, none worth remembering. "So why're you guys throwing a party?"

Tori couldn't help but smile at Cat's innocence. She didn't realize the party was for her. She could have sworn that at some point at least that one of Andre's texts would have gotten back to her. Or even at the very least get back to Robbie, who certainly would have informed Cat about it. "Cat, this is all for you," Tori said as she waved her arm across the scene, highlighting everyone who was enjoying themselves.

Wide-eyed and utterly speechless, Cat just looked on. Then she looked at Tori. Then she looked back at the people having fun. Then she looked at Tori again. Then she put Tori in another tight hug, completely and utterly entranced and happy, not just for the party but also for Tori willing to do all this for her. "You did this?"

"And Andre and Jade," Tori whined, desperately pulling away so she could breath. _As cruel as it might sound, I think Cat going to New York might do wonders for my ribs._ Once she was put down, she didn't show pain, showing only smiles for Cat. It was her night after all. "All three of us, and Beck too, set this up for you!"

"Oh… Tori…" Tears began to fall down Cat's face as she hugged Tori, who also looked like she was tearing herself. It was in that moment that they both realized just what this meant, that for Cat, it was a sendoff gift, and for Tori it was having to accept that Cat would be gone.

For onlookers who might have stumbled upon the image of Tori and Cat in their current embrace, certainly a number of scenarios might play into their heads. But there was one that was apparent, and that was neither of them probably wanted this moment, their own little piece of time, to remain forever. At least then neither would have to worry about leaving the other.

Finally, it was Tori who broke the emotional embrace, and even though the two of them hadn't said a word, it was as though they both had said their goodbyes to one another on a more personal level. Looking onto what was going on and managing to single out Jade, Beck, Andre, and Robbie in the crowd, Tori pointed them out to Cat. "So Cat, one of your last nights in Los Angeles, care to make it one that you won't forget?"

Cat narrowed her eyes as she tried to see what Tori was pointing at, but when she finally did, she couldn't help but enthusiastically wave to them. Once they waved back, she took hold of Tori's hand and bolted towards them, taking Tori with her.

After all, if this was going to be one of her last nights with the gang, Cat was determined to make the absolute most of it.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter marks the end of Cat and Robbie being main characters. They'll appear again, later on in the story, but for now, this is their farewell.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	27. Moving In

**Chapter 27. Moving In**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Los Angeles Highway - August 31st, Freshman Year**

 **...**

"Are we there yet!?" Tori whined from the back of the seat, her eyes impatiently trailing any car that might have passed them on the freeway, determined to know whether or not they might have been going to UCLA too.

"You asked us that only a couple of minutes ago. I'm fairly certain that by the time we get there you won't be need us to remind you," David Vega lectured his daughter. For as special a day as this might have been for Tori and for as much as he had come to terms with the fact that his daughter was about to leave, her persistent nagging of whether they were there or not only seemed to make the pain all the more real.

"Sorry," Tori grumbled as she sulked again in the back seat. _Patience,_ her mind chastised her. _You know that traffic sucks on the weekends. Just know that at worst, it's only maybe another half hour._ She looked out the window for a moment as she continued to watch the cars as she had been earlier. But now it seemed that with every car that passed into her field of vision, time stood still, the cars moving at nothing more than a snail's pace. _Half an hour!? UGH! I can barely survive a minute of this, let alone another half hour!_

Holly couldn't help but catch a glance of her daughter's boredom through the rearview mirror, seeing Tori's head leaning against the window like that of a lifeless body. "You excited honey?" She knew the answer full well; it had been pretty much the only thing that Tori had talked about for the better part of the last month. How excited she was about moving in, how nice the apartment was, how convenient it would be to have one on campus, how incredible it was that they had gotten it as freshmen. If a person didn't know better, with how much Holly had come to know of it through Tori, they would be convinced that she was the one who'd be moving in, not her daughter.

Tori's head remained static against the glass, her eyes having gone from trailing cars which happened to speed past them, moving at God knows how fast, to instead looking for the sun. If it weren't for her mom getting her attention with her question, Tori may have blinded herself well before the end of the car ride. "So, so ready!" Ready? Certainly. But at the same time, there were so many things which was a mystery to her.

Up to this point, Jade had dealt with all the paperwork and things of that nature. Even in spite of them both having been to UCLA before, neither Tori nor Andre had actually seen the area in which they had been building the Golisano Apartments, so everything concerning them were complete unknowns. And even now, as they were perhaps a half hour away from getting there, there was still the question as to how far out Jade and Andre might have been. It was for that reason that she found herself maintaining such a tight grip on her phone, ensuring that she might not accidentally miss one of them calling her.

And as if by cue, the sensation of her phone vibrating in her hands spurred a reaction in Tori as if she had been struck by lightning. Blindly answering the phone, she couldn't wait to hear either of them telling her that they had arrived at the apartment and it was incredible. "Hello, this is Sarah from Golisano Apartments. We want to extend both congratulations on pursuing your education at UCLA as well as thanking you for selecting Golisano Apartments for your choice of housing." Tori frowned with disappointment. It wasn't the first time that any of them had gotten the message, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy each time she heard it. "As you know, the 2012 academic year will be our first year in operation and therefore we must ask that to all tenants in apartments for 2 or more people - to ensure that we can most aptly assist people with the move - that one of the leasees claim and distribute the keys to their respective roommates. We apologize if this method is unorthodox and contradictory to what people may be used to in the past. We aim for this to be our only year of initiating this directive."

There was an uneasiness about that, that they would have to entrust their roommate with the keys. It just seemed out of character for something that was supposed to be described as luxury apartments. Hardly luxury service. Tori didn't ignore the fact that today they would be filling up over 150 apartments, most of them designed for two or more people. But the fact that the first person was responsible for everything, for as much as Tori wanted to get there as quickly as possible, she also hoped that either Jade or Andre got there before her.

"Was that Andre, dear?" David asked, having seen only Tori answer her phone, not the disappointment of receiving the automated message.

Tori sighed and began to look out the window again as disappointment added to the boredom. "No, just their reminder about the keys."

"I actually like that they do that. Not all sure how I feel about the keys, but at least they've given a great deal of notice on the matter," Holly remarked.

David didn't seem to be in the same school of thought, judging purely by his facial expressions. "If they're doing that, I can't help but worry about what sort of organization they might. But, I guess some people just can't be deterred," he said as he shot a quick smile at Tori. Even though he had – on multiple occasions – expressed concern over how Golisano was handling these keys, at no point did it seem that Tori was any less excited or convinced she wanted to live there.

Tori felt the vibrations once again through her hands and again checked her phone, ready to face disappointment one more time. That feeling of dread was erased at the sight of the name 'Andre' on the caller ID. Answering it, Tori found herself moving as much as she could further towards the front seats, "Hey Andre. I'm with my mom and dad driving, so you're on speaker."

"Word, sup Mr. Vega, Mrs. Vega!" Andre's voice echoed through the car, it being all the more prominent as David lowered the volume on the car radio, low as it already was.

"Morning Andre," David called out.

"Good morning Andre. Excited?" Holly added.

"You bet! So Jade just called me. She's got the keys," Tori breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she wasn't going to have to deal with the key situation. "I'm maybe five minutes out myself. How close are you guys?"

"If traffic remains light as it has been up to this point, we should be there in more than fifteen minutes," David remarked. "Andre, you're not using your phone while driving are you?" His voice sounded a bit more serious, Tori recognizing it when he wanted to play up his policeman persona.

"No, sir," Andre quickly responded, his voice sounding a bit hoarse. "Anyway Tori, Jade said that we have Apartment 1105."

Tori drew a smile hearing the number, "Apartment 1105. Sounds good."

"I'll see you guys there. Later!" In a clustered, rushed sentence, Andre ended the conversation, certainly not wanting to drag it out any further with Tori's dad sounding intimidating.

"I think you scared him Dave."

David smirked, "Not safe to be driving while on the phone. You remember that Tori," he said as he looked right at Tori through the rearview mirror.

"Yes sir," Tori acknowledged as she nodded her head. She wasn't about to tell him that she did it often, arguably as often as Andre did. After all, he didn't need to know every little thing she did, did he?

* * *

 **...**

 **Golisano Apartments, UCLA**

 **...**

Pretty much as David Vega predicted, after only about fifteen minutes or so, they had finally reached UCLA, or more specifically the incredibly new looking apartments that seemed to conform along a significant amount of the overall campus. As Tori looked with awe through the car window, David couldn't help but do the same. For both of them, neither could believe that somehow or another that they had missed these buildings. And if they hadn't missed them, if they had been constructed in the time since Tori's audition, how much work must they have put into them?

"Incredible," Holly stammered out, which the others couldn't help but nod in agreement over. As they drove through the complex, the more and more they happened to see people moving in, parents helping to unload cars, the more it dawned on them that this place more resembled its own neighborhood than anything else. The more drastic comparison that probably anyone could make of the place would be it was a gated community without the gate encasing it.

Though however anyone may have looked at it, it was plainly apparent that there was a reason that all applications were filled in what amounted to little over a day.

As they slowly drove through the roads, much like so many other people it seemed, all having the same issue of trying to find where their apartment might have been, David couldn't help but realize that unlike some of the other people he had no idea where he was going. "What was the number again Tori?"

Suddenly a terror dawned on Tori. "Crap!" She yelled out, the suddenness of it causing both of her parents to take shoot a quick glance at her. _I didn't already forget it did I? It was like 1005 or something?_ Taking a quick glance and seeing one of the apartments number 1301, it quickly came back to her. "Building 1105! That was it!"

And with that they were again driving around, looking aimlessly for what seemed like the one building that none of them seemed able to find. It didn't help either that all of the buildings seemed to share the same exterior look, fresh coats of white paint, and all seeming modern in architecture. "This must have cost a fortune to create," David remarked, somehow managing to find something new to marvel with each building they passed by. "Is that it?" He asked, no longer certain himself, now just more hoping on whether or not they had seen the building or not, and unfortunately it was becoming tougher to tell if they had gone down a particular street or not already. As they drove past the latest house, Tori made sure to look carefully at the house number.

1105.

"There we are!" Holly exclaimed, perhaps as excited as Tori seemed to be.

"Looks nice," David said as he pulled into the parking lot, it otherwise empty save for their car and two others. Tori immediately recognized the two of them. One of them belonged to Andre. _There's Andre's car, but I don't see Jade's anywhere. And who is that?_ What perhaps took her attention more than anything else wasn't the fact that Andre's car was there or that Jade's car wasn't there, but the fact that there looked to have been someone right outside the front steps, apparently sunbathing.

Getting out of the car and slowly walking towards the person, Tori was certain it wasn't who she thought it might have been. To prove herself right, she decided to throw out a name, positive that the person wouldn't acknowledge it. "Beck?"

The figure didn't get up, instead just lifting their head up slightly, enough so that they could see. Tori couldn't believe when they not only waved to her, but also called out, "Hey Tori!"

Tori couldn't believe it.

It was Beck. Sunbathing outside her apartment.

She wasn't sure if it made more sense for her to be confused by what she was seeing or instead happy to see him. Beck's secrecy, plus the fact that for the better part of the last two weeks he had seemed to have disappeared entirely, had Tori convinced that he left to some college unbeknownst to any of them. Yet, here was.

"What are you doing here!?" She exclaimed as she found herself running towards him, pulling him into a hug reminiscent of what Cat might have done in the same situation.

Beck shrugged his shoulders, obviously not finding his situation nearly as surprising as Tori seemed to have found it. "Just getting a bit of sun. Nothing else to do really until Jade and Andre get back with the keys."

"Wait," Tori began, her voice for a moment sounding like it cracked, "They left!? They did know that I was coming right?"

Beck nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry though. They're just going to the hardware store. It's like, I don't know, maybe ten minutes away or something. They'll be back in a couple of minutes."

She was still a bit upset at the fact that Jade and Andre had left her alone, but Tori couldn't help but feel a bit better that at least Beck was there to keep company. It was an odd place for them to go to though. Why a hardware store, of all places? "What are they doing there?"

"Just need to make a copy of Jade's key."

Tori nodded, "Ah, makes sense." It took a minute before the lightbulb went off in her head, and as she slowly lifted her head upwards so her eyes could meet with Beck, she realized just what he meant. "Wait… You're!?"

Beck didn't say anything at first, instead just looking right at Tori. The two of them exchanged glances for a moment, Tori's being full of anticipation while Beck's was relaxed, not giving much indication one way or the other.

Then he smiled.

"Surprise!"

Tori found herself again grabbing hold of Beck, showing a sudden burst of strength as she lifted him clear off the ground, causing even him to be a little concerned. He gently tapped Tori's shoulders, hoping that she'd put him down, safely of course.

"Heh. Jade said that you might have reacted like that. Should've listened to her," Beck chuckled.

Tori found herself still in a bit of disbelief. What did this mean? Did he get accepted to UCLA too? Was he in the same major as her? "So wait, slow down. Jade's getting you a copy of her key. So you're…"

"Sharing a room with her? Yes Tori, Jade will share her room with me."

"So you're going to UCLA then?"

"Nope," Beck said. Tori couldn't find how confidently he said that to be a bit unsettling.

"Then why are you moving in?" Tori quickly sought to rephrase that, realizing how bitchy she came off, "I'm sorry. I mean, is there anything special going on that's the cause of this? Damn, that doesn't sound any better either."

Beck couldn't help but find Tori's awkwardness a bit adorable. But mostly entertaining. "It's all good. Nah, I'm not going to UCLA. I'm not going anywhere."

Tori rose an eyebrow at this. While he might not have been Jade or Tori, Beck had decent enough grades which, along with his acting, could land him anywhere basically. "What? Why?"

"I just don't see the point of me having to shell out like forty grand just for a bunch of actors who never made it to lecture me about how I'm wrong in my approach to acting. I could use that time, and money for that matter, on actually acting, networking, shit like that."

"That's sorta cynical," Tori remarked. To an extent, she understood where he was coming from, but it seemed more extreme than anything else.

"Maybe, but that's fine. Besides, it's not like there's any law that requires me to go to college, so not like I'm breaking any law or anything."

"What about your parents? How'd they react to your decision?"

Beck scratched the back of his head, the expression on his face showing that whatever his parents thought on the matter was clearly an indictment against his point of view. "Well, let's just say they're a huge contributing factor to all this," He said as he pointed to their apartment.

Tori wasn't entirely sure of the finer points of what Beck was saying, but she had to figure it wasn't anything good. And while she didn't want to say anything, she couldn't help but wonder how long it would be until his trailer was parked outside the apartment. _One month, maybe two. Three at the very tops._ She figured it would be better to move the conversation away from whatever issue that there may have been with Beck's parents and towards something more enjoyable, at least in her mind. "I'm guessing you've seen the apartment then? It nice?"

Beck nodded, "Pretty damn nice, won't lie."

Tori couldn't help but find comfort and relief in hearing this from Beck. Maybe it was that everything seemed too good to be true up to this point, but the fact that Beck had seen the apartment himself, that was an opinion that she could trust in.

"You think we should probably give your parents a hand?" Beck suggested, pointing towards the parking lot. Turning her head, Tori couldn't help but feel guilty at the sight of her mom and dad going through every box that they had packed, carefully arranging them in the parking lot. Almost as if they were waiting for a particular incoming freshman to assist them in moving into her new apartment. Emphasis on her new apartment.

"Yeah. Yeah we should," Tori hastily agreed, moving as quickly as she could towards them, hoping that her conversation with Beck hadn't caused them to do too much of the work on their own. Judging by the boxes, stacked one on top of the other, it looked like her parents had only just started unpacking when Beck pointed them out to her.

She hoped that she would be able to just start moving boxes without drawing any attention to herself, and while Beck seemed to do so without any issue, grabbing so much it looked like he could have been crushed by it all, even the smallest item Tori picked up drew some sarcastic remark from her dad. "Oh no Tori, we wouldn't want you to strain yourself."

 _Just own it Tori. After all, only a few more hours until they're gone. Only a few hours!? Oh my God! Still can't believe this is real…_ It was tough to believe, that in only a couple of hours they would be gone. For as incredible as the thoughts were to her, Tori was as intrigued as what might have been going through the heads of her parents during this whole process. Undoubtedly they must have been agonizing over this, and to an extent, Tori was as well. The difference between the two was that they were having to endure letting her go, and she was going to have to manage being let go.

The sound of a car radio blaring averted Tori's attention from the packing and instead onto Jade's car, pulling into the driveway, just opposite of where Andre's was parked.

The gang was finally here, and finally, after all of these months of waiting, of building anticipation, Tori was finally going to see her new home for the next four years.

 **...**

 **A Short Time Later**

 **...**

After all the unpacking, after the seemingly endless hours of Tori, Andre, Beck, Jade, and Tori's parents moving various boxes of items in and out of the apartment, it finally came to a close. Their apartment was furnished, they had all of their supplies there, and now the only thing left to do was for Tori to say her goodbyes, which neither she nor her parents were too keen or excited about.

As Tori reflected on the boxes within her room, there was a knock on her door and she turned to see her dad, looking like he was ready to get going, "Tori, you think you can come out and say goodbye to your mother and I?"

Tori gave her dad a weak smile as she accompanied him out, going through the apartment and out the door towards the parking lot. The walk from then to the car was silent, but to say that it didn't matter would be a gross lie. In reality, neither he nor Tori knew precisely the words they wanted to say, but their faces, Tori's inability to look her father in the eye, the struggle on David's face as he held back tears. Just looking at the two of them, it was clear there was a great deal of emotion between the two.

As they got to David's car – following a walk that seemed to last for hours and hours rather than the couple of seconds that it actually was – it was Tori who finally broke the silence. "Dad…" She began, immediately finding herself getting choked up. She didn't want to say goodbye. As much as she was ready for this, she didn't think it'd be this tough.

She felt her dad's hand gently pat against the back of her head, bringing her into a deep hug. At this point, whatever restraint she had was all but gone, tears beginning to descend down her cheeks. Similarly, David Vega found himself in the same situation, tears falling down his own face as he held his daughter close. "Everything you've done… This is the start of your time, Tori. Show them what you've got!"

Kissing his daughter's forehead, David gave her a final goodbye as the two parted, David slowly getting into the car as Tori stood there within the parking lot. As the car pulled away, Tori remained there, watching it as it drove further and further into the distance, the faint streams that descended down her cheeks beginning to wane as the car became less and less apparent until it eventually disappeared entirely from sight.

She remained there for a moment afterwards, collecting herself, coming to terms with reality. _This is it. I'm at college now. I have my own place with my best friends._

 _I can do this._

She took a deep breath as she wiped her eyes. As she took a final glance out, hoping to see her parents driving away, she found herself taking comfort in not seeing them at all. Now knowing that they were gone, she took a final deep breath as she turned back towards their apartment.

The one that Jade had shown them, that by some miracle they had managed to get.

The one she couldn't wait to finally make her own.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	28. The Late Early Risers

**Chapter 28. The Late Early Risers**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Apartment - September 3rd, Freshman Year**

 **...**

Tori slept well enough.

Surprisingly so, as anxious as she might have been for the start of school, the past two days being devoted to nothing more than her, Jade, and Andre all unpacking the seemingly endless amount of boxes that were left for them. She thought just the dozen or so large boxes of various supplies were plentiful enough, but throw in another seven or eight boxes courtesy of Andre, another eight on behalf of Jade, and as a late arrival, another dozen on behalf of Beck, and you had nothing four incoming freshmen spending time determining which type of dishware went where as opposed to partying like others.

By the time that they had finished for the night, partying was the last thing on their mind, or certainly at least with Tori. Hardly a partier herself since that one night she had gone out with Trina, she was more than comfortable with the idea of staying in. Maybe chill on the couch and watch a funny movie – or a terrifying one if Jade got her way – or even just playing on the piano. To Tori, any of those options sounded far more enjoyable, seemed much more exciting than being hit on by a bunch of drunk guys or - God forbid - a repeat of that night.

But for as warranted as her reasons might have been to skip the parties, they were now in the past. Now, the main thing was for her to prepare herself for what was to come, the thing that had as much excited her as it did leave her conflicted.

That thing being 'Performers' Orientation', the introductory course for students accepted into UCLA's Performing Arts Major.

The first course that Tori Vega would be taking at UCLA.

And of course, whoever it was that assigned the schedules had decided to give her – the least morning person of the trio – with the earliest class. Jade's Monday schedule didn't begin until 2 in the afternoon, and even that was only two courses. Andre perhaps had the roughest deal of them all, with classes starting at noon and going until about 4. Even then though, at least he got a little bit more time to sleep in, something she would have preferred. If there was any sort of consolation to be provided to Tori, it was the fact that she only had one class on Monday, that one.

 _Having only one class on a Monday isn't all that bad though. So, I guess it's the price to pay for me having to wake up at the crack of dawn._

And the crack of dawn came quickly at 8 AM with the thunderous roars of the alarm on her phone, violently ripping her away from dreamland.

"Ugh, just five more minutes," Tori groaned, the majority of her face still laying on her pillow while she blindly reached around for her phone, hoping to shut off the loud beeping as quickly and for as long as possible. _Only five minutes. Just five more minutes and I'll be up and ready to go._

By the time her alarm went off again, she was still tired, though not quite as exhausted as she had been only minutes earlier. With great reluctance, Tori sat up, remaining otherwise motionless as the sun peered through the window and lit up the entire room, highlighting the few personal effects that she had taken out and put on display. The majority of her things still remained within the two boxes that lay at the foot of her bed. Eventually she would get to them, that was what she told herself. But with how much work she had done over the weekend, eventually might not be anytime soon.

"Well, thank God it's a nice day," Tori said with a sunny disposition as she squinted at the window. _Look right at the sun Tori, that's a brilliant idea._ As she got out from the bed, so began the all important question that would have unbelievable repercussions moving forward; what was she going to wear on her first day. "So many options," she said to herself as she opened her closet, sighing with relief that she had taken time out of her day yesterday to unpack her clothes. She didn't even want to imagine the idea of her going through a box of clothes to determine her outfit.

 **...**

 **A Couple Minutes Later**

 **...**

Tori kind of wished that the apartment had more than two showers. It wasn't a surprise that someone was going to have share one of the bathrooms; that was all but a given. But the fact that by all accounts, one of them would walk into the house with their own private bathroom seemed just wrong. Unless it was Tori who got it, then it would be perfectly fine.

 _Heh, it's actually a good thing that Beck moved in I guess. If I can't have the private bathroom, nobody does._

Chances were that Jade would have taken the bathroom for herself anyway, but now that Beck was in the picture, it was very likely that the two of them would be sharing that one. Which meant, unfortunately, that Andre and Tori would be sharing the other one.

 _Maybe an early morning class isn't so bad,_ Tori thought to herself as she finished up in the bathroom, knowing that Andre was still probably asleep and no doubt would be for the next hour or two at least still.

As she finished taking a look in the bathroom mirror, making sure that every hair was in place, that her teeth looked white and shiny, Tori immediately found herself being hit by a surprising – and pleasing – aroma as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"Bacon?"

Taking a step down towards the kitchen area, she couldn't help but cheer with a glee at what was before her. Complete with a cooking apron, there stood Beck, slaving away over the stove, preparing what looked like a complete breakfast. Eggs, sausage, bacon. A nice treat.

 _Yeah, definitely a good thing Beck moved in._

"So does this make you our own personal chef," Tori joked as she took a seat at the counter, Beck finding himself unable to hide his surprise.

"Heh, figured you'd still be sleeping," he remarked, grabbing a piece of bacon as Tori's eyes focused on it. "And no, I am not your personal chef," he said as he took a loud bite out of the bacon, leaving little less than half of it still in his possession.

Hesitant, Tori began to reach for a piece of bacon, hoping that Beck wouldn't lash out at her hand. Taking a quick glance up and seeing him nod, she smiled herself and grabbed one. "What would you call this then?"

"Me being a good friend," Beck snickered. "But I also have an audition today, so need my strength."

"You have an audition?"

"Yeah," Beck gave Tori a curious look, "Does that surprise you or something?"

"Honestly? Sorta, yeah. I mean, I kinda figured you'd just chill around. Maybe sunbathe on campus, I don't know."

Beck couldn't help but laugh at Tori's suggestion. In a perfect world, that'd probably be way up there on his list, but alas, it wasn't the case. "I'd love to do that, but really, not much of a chance to do that. And even just with lounging around here, there's just no way that I can do that."

Tori found it surprising, not so much that Beck was so adamant against just doing nothing - something which he'd in the past shown no issue of doing - but also that it sounded like it'd be the worst thing to happen. "Why though? I mean, I'm not trying to sway you or anything, just I've never seen you as aggressive in looking for a part before."

Beck nodded, "Yeah, well can't afford not to be. Fact is, while maybe not the most spacious option, the trailer was at least free. Even if Jade's asking that I only front half the rent to share her room, it's still not exactly cheap. Best case scenario, if I don't find some work, I got maybe, three or four months here, possibly five."

Tori looked shocked. She thought Beck was in better shape than that, financially at least. But given it didn't seem like his parents were all that comfortable with his decision not to go to school – based on how he described it at least – it wasn't all that likely to think they would help support him in this manner either. "Then, if this one doesn't pull through?"

"I'm not too too worried. It was enough to land auditions before, probably gonna be even easier to land them now with no class schedule to get in the way. The hardest thing is just gonna be having to accept that I won't be doing all that much partying." He paused for a moment, thinking to himself and realizing how ridiculous that statement sounded, even for him. "Alright, slight exaggeration. I'll no doubt do some partying, but only on the weekends, and assuming no auditions during those days."

"That sounds more like you," Tori concluded, taking another piece of bacon for herself. "What time is your audition?"

"At 11, so I'll probably leave within the hour. It's only a few minutes away, so I'll probably get there by around 10:30 or so, at worst maybe 10:45."

Tori was confused. If Beck wanted to arrive at his audition by then, why would he be leaving so early, especially when it wasn't necessary.

"Something up?" Beck asked, noticing Tori's confusion.

"I don't know. Just seems like you're leaving really early is all."

Beck simply looked at Tori like she was speaking in tongues. "You do realize what time it is, right?"

"Yeah, it's like 8:30. So you have time."

There was a moment of silence between the two before Beck finally spoke again, "Tori. It's almost 9:30."

Tori rose an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Check your phone."

She didn't believe Beck. How could it have already been 9:30? After all, she woke just a few minutes past 8. There's no way that her getting ready would take a full ninety minutes. Humoring Beck, Tori glanced down at her phone, her eyes widening with panic as it showed 9:28 AM. Quickly, terror began to overwhelm her, realizing that she hadn't slept for only a few minutes after her alarm initially went off, but instead for probably closer to an hour or so. And now as a result, no longer was it a case of her hoping to leave by 9 and have time to spare, but instead now leaving by 9:30 and hoping she makes it to class on time.

"Crap!" She exclaimed as she practically jumped off the stool she had been sitting on, darting out the house in the process, but not before running back inside real quick to grab another piece of bacon. Once she had stuffed it in her mouth, she was again running out towards campus.

 **...**

 **UCLA**

 **...**

Already, she was finding herself appreciating one of the small, unadvertised bonuses that the Golisano Apartments seemed to offer; while the dorms were on the completely other side of the campus as compared to where the majority of the academic buildings were located, the Apartment complex had been built more towards the academic side. Granted, there was still a bit of a walk required to get from the front door of Tori's apartment to where her first class was supposed to be at, it still was a few minutes faster than if she had lived in the dorms.

But even right now, the fact that it was a bit of a faster walk wasn't looking like it was going to be all that valuable. Because what was the point of having the extra time to walk to class if you have no idea where the building you're supposed to go is.

"I could have sworn, I thought I remembered seeing it nearby," Tori said to herself as she walked down the paved road that spanned throughout the entire campus. On either side of her, there stood the numerous academic buildings, some of them housing general courses, others being devoted to particular majors. But the one that was supposed to be devoted to her major seemed to have been conveniently left out. Which did not make sense, as she had been certain that she had seen it yesterday when she and Jade took a break from the unpacking. They had decided to see where the points of interest were, to get a better feel for the campus, and yet somehow Tori had managed to completely ignore where the most important building to her was located.

To some degree, she found herself able to take comfort in seeing other people seeming to have the same issue as she was. Though unlike the rest of them, Tori wasn't having any changes in fortune. Unlike everyone else who either did recall where they were supposed to go or otherwise just disappeared into the progressively waning crowds, Tori was still there, pacing back and forth from the various buildings, hoping that she might have misread a building's name.

"Where the hell is this place?" She spoke aloud, as much frustrated as she was hoping that someone might have overheard her and asked if she needed help.

Which she needed.

As it stood right now, it started to look like it was becoming less likely that she would be able to find this place, yet alone get to it on time. And as she quickly glanced at her phone, seeing 9:48 illuminate most prominently on the screen, she only found herself more and more regretting not getting up at 8 like she had intended to. Then it wouldn't have been an issue of her struggling to find where this place might have been, if it even existed in the first place.

She was starting to get to the point where she couldn't help but think that it might not have been a real place.

 _Don't freak out Tori. Just take a deep breath, and the next person you see walking by, just ask them. Maybe they'll have a clue as to where the hell this place is._

Taking a deep breath, Tori turned quickly around, seeing a couple of people walking alone, all seeming to be in their own world as they walked towards their respective classes. What caught Tori's eye were a small group of students, four of them in total, all decked out in UCLA apparel. _Maybe they know! Four of them, one has to have an idea at the very least._

The two sides continued walking towards one another, one of the boys in the group almost bumping into Tori in the process. Actually, if it hadn't been for one of his friends, he more than likely would have knocked into Tori. "I'm sorry," she began. "But by any chance do you any of you guys know where I could find the Gleason Center for Performing Arts is located at?"

Four guys. Four guys who looked like they had some idea as to where they were going, and not a single one of them seemed to have any idea where the Gleason Center for Performing Arts might have been. Judging by the reactions of at least two of them, they didn't even know that such a building even existed. A bunch of shaking heads and boneheaded questions like, "Where is that?" or "That's a building here?" was all that Tori got, which only added to her frustration and further built up the panic inside her.

As abruptly as Tori had approached them, the four guys departed, one of them muttering something about freak hippies, no doubt referring to Tori. _Great! Now they think I'm a hippy too… Jerks…_ She was almost ready to give up when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she was surprised to see one of the students who she had originally dismissed as being in their own world. _This guy?_

"Sorry," the guy said, taking a step back so there was a little bit of space between him and her. "I couldn't help but hear you asking those guys about the Gleason Center."

Tori's eyes brightened. _Does this guy actually know where it is?_ Nodding her head, she hoped that her suspicions could be proven wrong again. "Yeah. Do you know where it is?"

To Tori's utter delight, the guy nodded his head. "Yep. I'm actually on my way there now."

 _This guy's on his way there?_ Tori had a bit of trouble believing that. He didn't really look like a performer, but rather more like Jesse Endelson from Hollywood Arts. An athlete. There was just something about him that didn't read performer, though Tori had to admit that even she didn't really know what it was that did read performer. But whatever it was, this guy didn't look to have it. "You're heading there?" She asked with a suspect tone. Unwarranted, possibly, but she couldn't help it.

"Performers' Orientation. Ten o'clock class," he said nonchalantly. "I'm guessing you have it too?"

"What makes you think that?"

The guy shrugged, "Well, seeing as only we have classes there, have to guess that you're a performing arts student. And probably a freshman 'cause you don't know where it is." Tori didn't say anything, but she was a bit impressed by the guy's little detective work. "But hey, I could be completely wrong. Any event, I can still show you it if you'd like."

With that, the guy started walking away, in the same direction that Tori had come from only a few minutes earlier, back towards the buildings. _This guy has no idea where he's going,_ Tori thought to herself as she watched him take the exact same route that she had done initially. That opinion didn't change at all until he actually seemed to walk an entirely different way, heading towards one of the nearby parking lots as opposed to sticking on the paved path. Beginning to think that she was making a mistake trusting this guy, Tori followed, half-expecting to end up disappointed.

After a couple of minutes of walking past nice cars and people who were also running to class themselves, Tori found herself outside of a large glass building, the word 'Gleason Center for the Performing Arts' engraved on a large sign hung just above the doors.

"How the hell could I have missed this?" Tori asked, bewildered at how seemingly easy this guy had managed to find it. On her own, she probably never would have located it.

"Not surprising really. All the other buildings are basically lined up one by one. This one, you're not likely to really see it unless you cut through the parking lot. I didn't realize it myself until someone showed me yesterday too."

"Heh, well thank goodness for that, I suppose."

"Apparently," The guy shot Tori an awkward smile as he proceeded towards the front door of the building, going as far as to hold the door open for Tori, "You coming?"

Tori glanced at the guy for a moment but shrugged her shoulders, following him. Even though she might have wanted to find the classroom on her own, the fact was she was probably already late – along with this guy – and if he did know where the Orientation was, why not just have him show her? "So, do you know where the class is?"

The guy nodded, "Yeah. It's on the second floor."

 **...**

 **Performers' Orientation - UCLA**

 **...**

Designed like a traditional college lecture hall, rows of tables which slowly started to curve along in a half-circle, each row becoming slightly lower in elevation the closer they got towards the center area, empty save for a lectern. Although a lecture hall like this may be able to accommodate well over a hundred or so people, only a fraction of the seats were actually being used. Save for the man who stood within the center of the lecture well, there were only about eighteen students in total, many of them scattered throughout the various desks. In only a few cases were there any students actually seated next to one another, and in no case were there three or more students seated next to each other.

But who they sat next to meant very little in the grand scheme, as every single one of them were fixated on the lecturer, having been giving them a small prep talk that as much talked up their talent, praised their accomplishments in getting accepted, as it did in making sure that they recognize the realities of what was to come to them as they pursue the major they've selected.

"So, keep that in mind, that while you all did get here, that's just the first step. Whether or not you become the next Christina Aguilera or the next Prince, I'm not going to say that you shouldn't dream big. On the contrary, I think you all should! You should dream big! Just know that whatever you set your goals to, be ready for the-" The lecturer stopped right in his tracks as the door into the classroom opened and Tori Vega and her guide emerged through it, hoping to quietly take a seat and not draw attention to themselves.

"Well hello there!" The lecturer yelled out, causing the two late arrivals to stop in their tracks and also causing everyone in the class, all eighteen students, to turn and look right at them. "So, I hope that the two of you know that you have just walked into the Orientation for students who are pursuing a degree in Performing Arts, correct?" The tone he spoke with, it seemed like it was filled with contempt, assuming that they were random stragglers who didn't belong there.

Tori and the guy both nodded, and it was in that moment that she realized that she knew who this lecturer was. Well, knowing him might have been a little bit of an overstatement. She did recognize him though.

It was the guy who judged her audition for the Senior Showcase alongside Sikowitz earlier this year.

"Excellent!" The lecturer exclaimed as he walked towards an empty lectern and examined the piece of paper that he had left there prior to the start of class. Glancing back and forth between it and the two, he repeated this several times. "Tori Vega? Tom Benson?"

Both of them nodded once again, causing there to be a wide smile upon the face of the lecturer. All the while, Tori couldn't help but notice that the man's tone seemed to show a significant change, going from one that was highly critical to instead being one that was - by all rights - warm and inviting.

"Excellent! Well that means that everyone is in attendance! Which means we can actually begin this Orientation! So everyone, please give Tori and Tom a round of applause for only forcing me to waste, what? Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes of your time?"

As Tori and Tom reluctantly took a seat, Tori immediately had a feeling of wanting to hide underneath her desk as a slow clap echoed through the room for the two of them. _What a great way to start college! Now the lecturer hates me…_

"Now then. As you two weren't here in the beginning, please allow me to introduce myself. Brian O'Hennesy, Director of UCLA's College of Performing Arts!"

 _Oh that's awesome! He's not just some lecturer! He's the top guy! Way to go Tori! Way. To. Go…_

At this point, Tori just wanted to get up and leave this Orientation. It seemed like things were only somehow seeming to mirror her first day of Hollywood Arts, how miserable an experience that ended up being. At the rate it was going, it was seeming to be just as miserable.

Tom didn't look all that pleased himself, undoubtedly feeling something similar to what Tori was feeling.

"Oh! Actually, before I forget," O'Hennesy exclaimed as he turned from the lectern and pointed towards Tori and Tom, "I want to see both of you after we conclude today's class."

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	29. Fundamentals

**Chapter 29. Fundamentals**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Performers' Orientation, UCLA - September 3rd, Freshman Year**

 **...**

 _There's no way that today can get any worse._

Already assuming the worst, the reality was that Tori had no idea at all what to expect would happen after class ended. All throughout today, she had already seen on several different occasions that the assumptions she had made had no panned out for her.

She thought she was waking up at 8 AM, when in reality she had woken up closer to 9.

She assumed that the Performing Arts Center was with all the other academic buildings, when it was actually quite a distance away from them.

She expected Tom to be some punk guy who was lying about being in the same major as her. The jury was still out on the punk part, but he was in the same major at least.

But given this poor track record of hers, she felt like trying to get an idea of what may happen next would be just a waste, both of time and of her brain power. All she could do was sit in silence and watch as the countdown towards the class ending slowly trickle down while Mr. O'Hennesy spoke with authority.

"Now then, while I'm sure that the class would just love the idea of me repeating what I had been saying for the past fifteen minutes or so, I am limited on time, so provided there are no more students who are expected to arrive late, I think we can get started. Wouldn't you all agree?"

A handful of snickers and a few low volume grunts of approval answered in response to the director's sarcastic question. Tori simply shot a quick glance at the lecture hall doors, wishing that she could just leave. But for as much as she might have wanted to leave and avoid whatever punishment was coming, she feared that the repercussions for doing that would be all the more severe than what was already to come.

"So, I'm going to come right out and ask. Not including your audition, how many of you have have performed before? Let's say, outside of school plays or such, how many of you have experience. Raise your hands if you have," O'Hennesy requested as several hands shot up, Tori being among them.

From where she sat, Tori could see pretty much everyone in the class. To her surprise, only about five or six students aside from her actually rose their hands. _Wow. Not used to most of the class not being trained performers. Like the complete opposite of Hollywood Arts._

"Alright, so less than half of you. Honestly, that's actually a little surprising. We usually don't get that many people who have at least some experience. In any event though, that is fine. This major, we teach it assuming that none have experience, so depending on what degree of exposure you have, over the course of the year through your various classes, there might be things you'll run into which you may already know."

 _Assuming that we all have no experience. It really is like the opposite of Hollywood Arts!_

"And with this class too, even though this is designed as an Orientation, it's still a course, you're still getting credit towards your degree, and throughout this semester, we will be covering some general things, some which may help you down the line, some which won't."

O'Hennesy stopped his lecturing for a moment, just long enough for him to take a quick survey around to see the faces of the students. One or two faces that looked like they were a little intimidated, but for the most part it looked like everyone was composed, even ready.

"Now, you all auditioned to get accepted into this major, and of well over a thousand applicants, we chose you. You should feel proud, but as I said earlier, getting in is the easy part. It's what you make of it, what you take from this class which will very much help and influence your success. Most of you chose the singer route for your audition, and by in large that was the preferred method that people who auditioned went with. Not exclusively, and that's important to note. Over the course of this year, you'll come to find out which side of the spectrum you stand on, be it the performer with acting or singing preferences. Because so many of you opted in with the singing, I'm going to assume that that was influenced by probably many of you not having performed on stage. Of those who raised their hands earlier, how many of you actually have acted?"

Tori rose her hand again, shocked to see that none of the students who had risen their hands earlier rose one here. Was she really the only person who had experience both performing and having acted on stage?

O'Hennesy took note of this too, "Only one. That is more of what I expect of an incoming class. So, even though we may have lost a little bit of time as far as today's class goes, I think it's only fitting that we do a little exercise. I'll be dividing you up into four groups, four groups of five and you will be doing something called alphabetical improv. Does anyone know what that is?"

Tori was confused. She thought that she had gone to UCLA for Performing Arts, but it felt like she was back in Hollywood Arts. Here was her instructor asking about the very same exercise that she was involved with on her first day back at Hollywood Arts. Regardless of how odd the whole situation seemed for her, she rose her hand again.

"Tori," O'Hennesy roared, causing many of the students to turn their heads and look at her.

She cleared her throat, happening to glance and see all of the eyes staring right at her, "When you act out a scene but the first word of your line has to start with the letter. A, then B, then C, etc."

"Precisely. So, let's have you in the first group, to give us an idea of what to expect. So, please come up, and let me just see who all else will go." Tori sighed as she again felt the eyes of everyone stare at her as she made her way towards the center of the well. O'Hennesy in the meanwhile was again positioned as the lectern, examining the attendance sheet. "Let me get Jason Kargill, Mohummad Silva, Amberlynn Grigsin, and Catelyn Mitton. The scene can be anything you want, only rule is you have to start with the letter that goes next. We'll start with the letter A. Also, because this is improv, you don't have much time. 30 seconds, or else you're eliminated."

Glancing at each individual who had come into the well to join Tori, the director looked to the Latina and nodded, "Tori, the letter's A. Go."

 **...**

 **A Short Time Later**

 **...**

As the exercises went on and students began to become more familiar with the exercise, it didn't take long before it dawned upon the director and the students that the entire duration of the course had actually come to an end. "And that does it for today's class. Undoubtedly you will be seeing some students later on over the course of the week. Remember, we'll return to this class next Monday. Please. Be. On. Time," He yelled out as students quickly began to evacuate their seats, rushing towards the doors.

Tori took another glance at the door, so tempted to join them, knowing it would be easy to escape with the crowd. The sound of O'Hennesy's voice wiped any hopes she had of going unnoticed, "Tori, Tom, stay here."

Leaning back, she didn't know why, but she couldn't help but think that Tom was going to bail regardless. To her shock, she saw that he hadn't even gotten up from his seat initially. "What'd you think is going to happen?"

Tom shrugged his shoulders, "He's probably gonna bitch us out or something."

Tori hoped that wasn't the case. After all, it was the first day of class. Was it such a shocker to believe that some students might not have known where they were supposed to go for their first class?

"Hopefully not," she said with a level of reluctance. A reluctance to believe that the day couldn't get any worse than it had seemed to go so far.

Seemingly having disappeared as the class flurried out of the lecture hall, O'Hennesy all of a sudden reappeared within the well, watching as the last couple of students slowly exited. Once the last student finally left, he quickly ascended the stairs and shut the doors. Turning towards the two late arrivers, there appeared a sinister smile on his face, "Alright, that's better. Thank you for sticking around. Won't lie, kinda thought that you two might have booked it out of here if given the option. So already you've proven me wrong."

His tone confused Tori. He didn't seem angry, but instead seemed more friendly, inviting even.

She hoped that it might have meant that they were in the clear. "Does that mean we're not in trouble?"

O'Hennesy chuckled. "Heh, you never were."

Tom responded to the laughter with a dirty look, "Then the remarks earlier?"

"Well, I mean can't give the impression to new students that I condone them being late. Time is limited, and if students think that they can arrive up late and miss a third of the material covered, doesn't help them at all."

"So, what are we free to go then?" Not even waiting for the director to respond, Tom had already begun to get out of his seat and proceed towards the exit.

"No." O'Hennesy's voice was cold. Demanding. And it was enough to cause Tom to stop in his tracks and reluctantly return to his seat.

Similarly, it couldn't help but panic Tori slightly. "But you just said we weren't in trouble."

"No, you're not in trouble for being late. But that doesn't change the fact that I do actually need to speak with you both. The fact that you both arrived to class late, that's a perfect pretext to get you here."

Frustrated with the doubletalk that O'Hennesy was giving, Tom asked coldly, "Couldn't you have just scheduled a meeting with us, rather than do that?"

O'Hennesy rose an eyebrow at Tom's remark. Even Tori couldn't help but find the abrasiveness surprising, if not stupid. After a second, O'Hennesy again drew a wicked smirk on his face as he looked right at Tom, "Couldn't you have shown up on time, rather than put me in this spot?"

Tori just looked on, her focus switching between both Tom and O'Hennesy, and while the director looked like he was clearly enjoying himself, Tom looked like he was ready to walk out right then and there, regardless if he was asked to stay.

Or at worst, take a swing at the director. She hoped that it wouldn't come to that.

O'Hennesy rose his hands in hopes of de-escalating the situation. "Apologies. Believe me, last thing I'm looking to do is cause bad blood. But I am curious of something. You didn't raise your hand earlier when I asked who had exposure to performing."

"And?" Tom asked, clearly still irritated, though seeming to calm down rather quickly.

"Well, that's not true, is it? After all, you transferred here from Syracuse. From their Performing Art department. You know, I didn't even know they had one before we got your request."

"Yeah. Well it's not as prestigious I guess, as UCLA's." Tom said with a hint of sarcasm to his voice. Obviously, he viewed the director's remark as an insult, and honestly, Tori couldn't help but think along the same lines.

"I never implied as such. Truthfully I don't compare other majors with ours, doesn't do anything. My aim is simple, to create the best program possible, one that anyone can come into from the start and come out capable of becoming a successful performer. It was the goal that I aimed to achieve when I helped create this major, and it's always been that way, to push talent and creativity, not to compromise and leave them without every possible benefit."

O'Hennesy stopped, half expecting at this point that Tom was going to respond to each question with a remark of some sort. Once it became clear he wasn't going to, he continued. "And in your particular case, I worry that that won't be possible."

"What do you mean won't be possible?" Tom asked, not sure where the director was getting at.

O'Hennesy took a deep breath. If there had been any chance of the two of them having a civil conversation without dragging emotion into it, it was pretty clear that that option was no longer possible. "Do you have any objection if I speak openly?"

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Go ahead."

"Alright then. When we got your request for a transfer, there were some among our faculty who had great reservations about having you here. We've never really had a situation where students sought to transfer into the major before and in all honesty, you're the first one that we've accepted. The preferred stance has been having students enter the major and go throughout all four years in the program and the classes, the projects, things of that nature, they are all designed to reflect that. We've never had a situation where we had to change the course or curriculum around to accommodate a transfer student. Now, I was actually one of the few who was on board with having you here, but there are still quite a few who aren't."

 _Wow, I can't believe that._ Tori found herself finding that to be ridiculous. There were honestly professors within the major who took objection – and apparently some who still have a problem – with them allowing a student to transfer into the major? It was petty. Juvenile even.

The look on Tom's face showed that he was thinking the same.

"I can see from the looks on both of your faces that you can't believe it. To a degree, I can't help but feel the same, but at the same time, I do to an extent understand where they are coming from. This is not an indictment against you personally Tom, but with this situation there are a number of uncertainties attached to it."

He was met with silence. Though she said nothing, Tori had no idea about this no transfer-student policy before, and honestly it surprised her to hear that it existed at all.

"Now, while I do approve of the idea of having you here, here is a concern that I have regardless. The benefits of having a student who goes through the entire process, such as Tori for instance, we can watch as she develops as a performer. By the time that she becomes a second year or third year student, we'll know what she excels at, where she struggles, tendencies, things of that nature. My concern, and you may prove me wrong, but I can't help but worry that with the more credit you come in with beforehand, a lot of the classes where we might identify attribute A, B, or C, they're no longer options. And because we'll be playing catchup essentially, the longer it goes where we lag behind, the more I fear grows the risk of failure."

"Well is that what you think? That I'm going to struggle?"

O'Hennesy simply looked at Tom, not really registering a confirmation nor a denial to the claims made. "Well, with the example scenario I just gave you, I'll give you your actual situation. Between the credit you earned at Syracuse and the courses you took in high school, you're technically a second year student. Remember how I said about those classes that we miss out on? Essentially we've lost an entire year's worth of fundamentals and development. And because your credit transfers to those freshman classes, we just have to keep pushing you forward, giving you classes that you'd take normally during your second year."

Tori glanced between Tom and O'Hennesy. It seemed that the director viewed the situation far more seriously than her classmate – perhaps in part due to the apparent backroom drama that had been described.

"OK, I get that some classes I'm gonna miss out on. But I feel like you're way overblowing this? I mean, can't I just be treated as a normal second year student, taking the usual second year classes?"

"Yes, to an extent. You see, the biggest thing is that those freshman courses, a lot of they are intended for are you to teach you the fundamentals. As I said during the Orientation, much of the first year is akin to an extended crash course of what you'll come to expect. You may be able to go into your second year classes without much issue at first, but they will eventually – and this will be all the more true down the line in your third and fourth year – they will become uphill battles."

Tom laughed, though of disbelief than anything. "So what you're saying is on one hand because I'm a second year student that I can't take any of the courses that are meant to teach me the fundamentals. But on the other hand you're saying that the classes that I am supposed to take I won't do well because I don't have those fundamentals. Pretty much a lose-lose from where I sit."

"I agree," Tori chimed in, having been otherwise quiet for a good deal of the twos' exchange.

The director nodded, "You see why it's a troubling issue. Now, I don't dismiss the fact that you did transfer from a Performing Arts major, so much of what we're worried about may be for nothing. For all we know, you may know all of what we expect of you already. As faculty and as advisors, we just don't know, and that scares us."

"Better off just assume I don't know shit then, that it? Awesome…"

"I get that it's sounds all miserable and it seems like it's a lost cause, but I actually do think there might be something we can do to fix things."

Even though it didn't concern her, Tori couldn't help but perk up at hearing this. All that she seemed to have heard up to this point were a bunch of barriers being put up in front of Tom. So to hear that there was something that could be done rather than just accept it, it was right.

Though while she might have been interested, Tom didn't even bother looking at O'Hennesy, instead just looking absently at the door. "And that is?"

"You've lost out on a year of what we would normally teach you. So to try to balance that loss, over the course of this semester, we'll basically shove as much information into you as possible. Assign you a mentor, of sorts, who'll help you get ready. Then come the end of the semester, you'll put on a performance. Similar to what we do following the end of a student's freshman year."

Tom didn't immediately respond, instead getting up from his seat, causing Tori to turn her head. "A year's worth of classes, all crammed into a couple of months? That's the plan?"

O'Hennesy nodded, "It's hardly a perfect situation, but I think that this is our best shot. In a way, ironically enough, it's a good thing that you're only coming in as a second year. I don't think this would be feasible if you were a third year or later."

"Alright then," Tom began as he started walking towards the door and out of the classroom altogether, though not before stopping to open the door, "Do what you need to.." Then he walked out, slamming shut the door.

 _He really just left?_

Tori half expected O'Hennesy to look utterly enraged by this, given how uneasy things seemed between the two of them. But to her surprise, O'Hennesy seemed calm, almost as if he had been expecting that to happen.

O'Hennesy exhaled. "Can't say that that's too much of a surprise. Stayed longer than I figured he would."

His words left Tori a bit confused. She couldn't help but feel like there was more to what was going on than what O'Hennesy was letting on. Hell, even to this point she didn't know why she was here. The conversation had up to this point pretty much only focused on Tom, Tori being an afterthought.

"So, uh, Mr. O'Hennesy? I'm sorry, I don't get what's going on. What was with that, what's with him? And really, I don't know why I'm here still."

"Well, before he walked out, I was going to say that I was going to suggest who I thought should be the one who would mentor him."

He nodded lightly, as if to indicate to Tori just what he was implying, and though she didn't realize it at first, very quickly it seemed that she understood. "Me?"

O'Hennesy nodded again, affirming Tori's suspicion.

"Why me though? I mean, I'm flattered, but I'm just a freshman! I haven't taken any of the classes yet!"

"No. No you haven't." The director began to walk away from the table, back towards the well in the center of the room. "But you did graduate from Hollywood Arts, and you have probably one of, if not the most impressive resume as far as a student coming into this major has shown."

Tori also got up from her seat, but rather than proceeding towards the door – which a part of her still kind of wanted to do – she found herself following the director towards the well. "I can't be the only person who's gone to Hollywood Arts! I'm sure you have like some juniors or seniors who've gone too?"

O'Hennesy stopped at the lectern, grabbing some of his papers and organizing them together as he turned back towards Tori, "And how many of them sang at the Platinum Music Awards? I can tell you, the answer is none. You're the only one coming in here who has."

"Even still, that doesn't mean I know what the classes are or anything. And how can you think I can teach someone if I don't even know the material?"

"You want me to let you in on a little secret?"

Tori nodded, a small part of her not wanting to know what this secret might have been.

"A good deal of our curriculum, particularly with the classes that we offer freshman year, Erwin Sikowitz was an incredibly huge influence on them, both in respects to the material and what we emphasize within them. I'm sure you saw in just today's class, something similar to what you experienced at Hollywood Arts?"

"My first day there. We did the same thing. The alphabetical improv."

"A fun little game to break the ice, to see how quickly students can adapt to changing scenarios and while under pressure. But back to the point I was making. Like I said back at the beginning of the lecture, we assume that people who come into this major do not know anything about performing. Believe it or not, we simply don't just take people who have the best audition, though we do look heavily at that. Whether a person shows heart, whether they're a natural performer, maybe there's just that spark that we see in a person. The point is that the pool of accepted students is a diverse one."

Hearing that, it made the fact that there were so few students with backgrounds in performing seem much less difficult to believe. It actually was entirely believable. You don't need to have experience just to have a good performance. Helps maybe, but isn't required.

"And the fact is, because we're not looking at twenty instances of you, we need to get them into a position where they can be, competitive's not the right word, but you get the idea. Give them exposure, build confidence. What you'll no doubt find, is that much of what you're going to see over the course of this year will be things that you have either probably done to some degree at Hollywood Arts."

"You're saying it's like a fifth year of Hollywood Arts?"

O'Hennesy shrugged his shoulders, "That's one way of looking at it perhaps. Another way might be looking at it like the most important aspects of what you learned over your four years there all bunched up into one. Which is why, for someone like you, who has just graduated from there, and has already shown that they're a capable performer, well you see where I'm going with this."

Tori nodded, "I do, but just…. Why not one of the seniors?"

"Not enough time. By a student's third year, we give them the option to begin work on their key project. About half of them wait until their Senior Year to do this, and that will occupy the greater extent of their entire year, certainly at least this semester. If I went through all of them and checked to see if they would be willing to or not, and same goes for my third year students, that would be chancing things, much more than I'm willing to risk."

"You can't ask another instructor?"

"No. Not with so many of them still opposed to the idea of him being here."

There was an uneasy feeling about all of this. Her first day of college, and already she was being asked to effectively act as a tutor to someone, more specifically someone who various instructors had concerns about. And honestly, she couldn't help but have concerns about the whole thing as well. She felt bad saying this, but Tom seemed a bit like - as Jade would say - an asshole.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm flattered by the offer, but it's just... You saw him, how can I tell if he's even going to agree to allowing me help him?"

"Well that's a question in itself, isn't it?" O'Hennesy began to go through the papers on the lectern, collecting them together as he started to make his way towards the classroom door. As he came within a couple feet of the door, he turned his head towards Tori, "I don't see him making much of an effort to reach out to me, at least for now anyways. I'm sure that you'll come up with something. Anyway, have a good day Tori."

And like that, Tori was alone within the classroom.

It took her a little bit to fully comprehend everything that happened over the past twenty minutes. If it hadn't been for the fact that she had gotten a text from Jade asking if she wanted to get lunch, Tori might have spent much more time than she already had. As she returned to the table that she had been sitting at during class and grabbed her things, she thought a bit more about what O'Hennesy proposed, his idea of her tutoring Tom.

 _Why should I put myself through that? It's not going to do anything for me other than give me a giant headache..._

Her phone vibrated in her hand and in an almost excited state, she glanced down to see what awaited her.

 **How about that taco place we saw yesterday? - Jade**

 _Tacos? Yes please!_ Wasting no time herself, she typed away a response.

 **Sure! Be there in a few - Tori**

 _Hmm. Maybe I should ask Jade about this whole thing. Couldn't hurt, right?_

It was worth a shot, getting Jade's thoughts on the matter. Maybe she'd just confirm what Tori was starting to think; that she was better off turning down O'Hennesy's proposal.

Maybe not. But either way, it'd be additional input.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	30. Taco Vente

**Chapter 30. Taco Vente**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Taco Vente - September 3rd, Freshman Year**

 **...**

How was it that they had found this place?

Perhaps it was the fact that their unpacking had made them hungrier than it did make them attentive towards where they were supposed to go for class.

Or maybe it was just the fact that the idea of combining tacos and coffee was so bizarre that it was actually brilliant.

 _An interesting idea, but I can't help feel like this'll just be a little gimmick place. Nothing more._ Tori's justification made sense to her, but having known Cat and Robbie for as long as she had, she had come to be more accepting of the reality that looks were deceiving.

Taco Vente.

The name should have been clear enough of an indicator as far as what the place should have been, but even upon the her and Jade first stumbling upon it, Tori couldn't help but think that this was a gimmick than a genuine place to eat. The idea of combining the two things just didn't sit with her.

At first.

Now having actually walked into the place, Tori couldn't believe her eyes, particularly at how utterly packed the place was. Well over a dozen tables lined up the place, the majority of them packed by people. Meanwhile, two long lines seemed to extend from nearby counters, both of which looked to have been making orders. And a short distance away, baristas called out names like it were roll call, one by one people averting their eyes up from their phone just long to notice their name being called.

"Wow," Tori muttered out, more than a little bit surprised. She figured that there might have been a handful of people, perhaps a half dozen at the very most. Just quickly scanning who was there from end of the place to the other, it was probably more accurate to say at least two dozen or so. But even as she looked around, there seemed someone missing within that large group.

"Jade, where the heck are you?"

"Right behind you," Jade's words rang out like that of a serpent's hiss, Tori unable to do anything more than momentarily tense up with panic. "Oh, did I scare you Vega?" Jade sadiscitally remarked as she walked past the stunned Latina, grimacing as both of them exchanged looks.

It took a second for Tori to compose herself, but she did, scrunching her face in the hopes that she'd somehow or another get Jade to back down, however foolhardy that might have actually been. "That's not funny!" The chuckles which escaped from Jade's mouth only managed to further convince Tori that when it came to her trying to spook or seem tough around Jade, it was a lost cause.

"Sure it is," Jade nonchalantly remarked, tossing her bag near the closest open table, promptly taking a seat and gesturing for Tori to join her, all in what seemed like a singular, fluid motion. "Have a seat Vega. You look like you could use a break. God only knows why."

Tori rose an eyebrow at Jade's remark, a little confused by what she was implying. "I'm not sure if I should be offended by that or not, so I'm just going to assume it was meant to be."

Jade shrugged her shoulders as Tori took a seat directly across from her at the table, "If you have to ask, then you probably already know, but just don't want to admit it. So heard you had an exciting morning."

"Exciting… Not exactly the word I would use to describe this morning," Tori sighed. She couldn't help but marvel at how quickly things up to this point had seemed to spiral out of control. Had she left when she was had originally intended for, she would have found the Gleason Center on time, which meant she wouldn't have run into Tom, which meant that she wouldn't have been singled out by O'Hennesy and subsequently put in the compromising situation she found herself in now.

"Well how would you describe it then?"

"Different," Tori's words trailed.

Almost immediately, Jade's eyes widened as they focused in on Tori, "Different as in?"

Tori paused, realizing that she had inadvertently given too much away to Jade. Her eyes quickly darted about before finally settling on the lines to order, having dwindled down to only a few people. She started up from her seat, "Different as in you invite me out to lunch but decide to talk rather than get some actual food."

Jade shot an empty glance at Tori for a moment before conceding and following her onto line. Perhaps once she had something to eat would Tori be a bit more talkative. Even if not, she'd at least be out of excuses.

Tori was actually pretty pleased with herself. More often than not, either she would try to outplay Jade and it would backfire in her face or it would just gain no traction at all. This time it looked like she might have finally one-upped Jade.

Before getting too cocky, she quickly glanced at the table, hoping to make sure that she did in fact follow. There was Jade's bag, still lying against the chair. _So she didn't leave. But, where'd she go?_

"Boo."

Tori jumped back a step, clenching her heart as Jade's laughter become more and more pronounced. "Oh Tori, you're too easy sometimes, you know that?"

 _Why did I know that that was going to happen?_ Tori found herself on the cusp of making some comeback, but having been fooled twice by Jade – and both in comical fashion at that – she wasn't going to push her luck for a third time. "I hate you sometimes…"

"Oh you love it," Jade remarked.

"You know what'd I love?" Tori looked quickly over to Jade to see if she was paying attention or was perhaps trying to sneak around her again, "If you'd buy me a taco or two."

Jade simply stared at Tori like she was crazy.

"For my pain and suffering, I mean." Tori reasoned.

Looking at Tori for a moment, Jade didn't immediately respond, which inspired a little bit of confidence within Tori. If Jade was against the idea, she would have outright said so. That brief moment of silence was about as reassuring as one could expect from Jade. "Fine…"

 **...**

 **Shortly Later**

 **...**

"So you have your tacos. You have your coffee. Time to talk," Jade spoke with a tone of authority, like that more of a drill sergeant than anything else.

With her taco only a few inches away from her mouth, Tori stopped as though frozen in time, unable to do anything more than glance at Jade. "Talk? Talk about what?"

Jade chuckled. "About what? Well we can start with the fact that you ran out of the apartment like a madwoman, so quickly that you apparently almost ran into a garbage guy…"

Tori, almost ready to take another large bite from her taco paused once again. "How- how did you?"

"You forgot to close the door on your way out this morning. Beck watched the whole thing."

Tori put the taco down and banged her head against the table, knowing that if Beck saw it, surely there was someone else who might have caught a glimpse of that encounter too. She had been so fixated on that she didn't even register the fact that her head banging had drawn a few eyes too. Thankfully a look of death from Jade deterred them back to their own business.

"Now everyone's going to think that I hate garbage men," Tori moaned as she rose her head back up.

"Could be worse," Jade remarked, more interested in her taco than that of Tori's new-found reputation. "So anyways, what else happened to get you so worked up?"

It seemed like Jade just had a knack for throwing Tori off her game today. For the third time in as many bites as she had taken of her first taco, Tori was again staring at Jade, trying to feign a look of ignorance as best as she could, but to little avail. "Nothing. Nothing happened," she lied.

Jade chuckled.

"Seriously! Nothing happened!" Tori found herself unconsciously raising her voice, coming close to levels where even the least-snoopy people couldn't help but listen in to.

"You know you're a pretty poor liar. What happened? I mean, it can't be all that bad. Find out that your professor is crazy? Get caught cheating on an assignment? Punch some preppy cheerleading bitch?"

Tori shook her head, though the mentioning of punching someone did cause her to think back to Tom and how he had acted earlier. She had seen in the past instances where Jade had been visibly pissed at a professor or two, but what she saw earlier, never had she seen tension that pronounced.

Jade sighed, certain that Tori would have said yes to at least one of those suggestions. _Damn. Could have sworn that Tori would have grown a backbone or something. The year's still early, so maybe that'll change soon._ "Well Tori, you're not giving me much to work with? I mean, that's all the fun things I could think of? I guess I can try the boring options. I don't know, did you meet a guy or something?"

Tori said nothing, not wanting to draw any more attention to herself or give Jade any sort of acknowledgement. Instead she just took a hearty sip from her coffee. Her lacking of any response was fully noticed by Jade however.

"Oh my God! You did didn't you!? Oh, how that will break Andre's heart," Jade said with a sarcastic tone, knowing that that would get under Tori's skin.

Tori found herself on the defensive, knowing that if left to her own wicked ideas, Jade would have everyone convinced of some ridiculous story involving Tori and whatever superimposed character that Jade might have come up with. "No! No- no Jade, it's not like that!"

Jade rose an eyebrow, "But you did meet someone?"

"Yeah, but, not that way though." Tori hoped that Jade would understand what she was getting at, but the look she was getting told her that that might not have been the case.

"So, you met a guy? But you didn't meet a guy? Can you explain please?"

Tori sighed. She didn't know why she was so hesitant to talk with Jade about this. That was the whole thing that she was looking forward to about this little lunch date of theirs; a chance to get her input on the whole situation with Tom and this tutoring proposal. Then Jade makes some offhand joke about Andre and now she's having second thoughts. _Am I worried about what Jade might say to him? Am I worried about what he might think?_

"Well? Did you forget how to talk Vega?" Jade glanced at Tori for a moment, hoping for some sort of response, some movement, just something to confirm to her that Tori registered that she was still there. "Either you say something or I pour what's left of my coffee over your head." Her words were cold, and more importantly, deadly serious.

It was this that finally got Tori's attention. It had been so long since the time that had happened but with everything else today – it seeming like a flashback of her first day of Hollywood Arts – why wouldn't it be that that happen too? _Not if I have any say in it._ But the look on Jade's face showed that she was serious, that Tori was going to have to talk, not just try to look tough. "Fine…"

Satisfied that she had gotten a reaction from Tori, Jade leaned back in her seat, taking a sip from her coffee, waiting for Tori to tell her about this guy she apparently met.

"I guess, I guess the best place to start would be when I actually got to campus. Without going into the boring specifics," Tori made sure to note, not wanting to tell Jade that she actually had no idea where her class was located, "I did meet a guy. Turns out that he's in my class. And a second year student."

Jade nodded as she took another sip, but it was clear by her facial motions that she was liking what she was hearing so far. "And," she said as she leaned forward, putting her coffee back on the table.

"And what?"

"Where does he fall on the scale?" Jade said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. _Come on Tori, you should know this._

"What scale? What are you talking about?" Tori asked, utterly confused as to what Jade was implying.

"The hotness scale. On the bottom you have someone like Sinjin-"

"And let me guess," Tori interrupted, "On the top you have someone like, Beck?"

Jade smiled, "There you go!" She leaned in, taking a small bite out of her taco, her bites seeming like those of a child compared to the large ones Tori had been taking. "Where's your friend lie on it?" A look of disgust soon formed on Jade's face, "He's not a Sinjin is he?"

Tori found herself very quickly shaking her head at that notion. "Oh God, no. No, not like a Sinjin. I guess, hmm… I don't know. I feel like your scale would vary a bit from mine." Tori wasn't even really sure if she actually had a scale and if she did, where the guys she knew would rank. It probably wasn't as off from Jade's as she might have imagined it to have been. "Not bad. Certainly on the athletic side. Just ugh…"

"Just what?" Jade asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Angry." Tori looked at Jade, realizing that saying that to her might not have had as much effect as it might have if she said it to Cat or Andre. "Like, really angry."

"Can you be a bit more specific as to what really angry is?"

Tori sighed. "How best do I say this? Like coming inches away from punching my college's director in the face?"

In an almost rare sight, Jade appeared wide-eyed hearing Tori describe this guy's apparent anger. "You're joking," she found herself laughing, not believing it.

"No. I'm telling you Jade, it was _bad!_ " Tori said with a solemn face.

Still though, Jade found herself laughing, convinced that Tori was making a joke. It wasn't until she actually looked at Tori's face that she realized she wasn't kidding, "Oh, you're serious?"

Tori nodded.

Jade leaned in, finding herself moving closer and closer towards Tori, intent on hearing every little detail possible. "Alright. Now tell me every little thing. Leave nothing out."

 **...**

 **More Time Later**

 **...**

"So, that's pretty much it," Tori concluded. For perhaps the greater part of the last half hour, she had been describing the near entirety of her encounter with Tom and O'Hennesy.

Leaning against the backside of her chair, Jade couldn't help but find the whole thing a bit remarkable, but at the same time a part of it wasn't all that hard to believe. That part of her being the high praise that this O'Hennesy guy seemed to have given her. Based just on what she had seen of Tori during their time together in Hollywood Arts, Jade knew that she had talent, and as she'd describe it, a 'shit ton' of it.

"Now, let me see if I got this right. Half of the instructors didn't want him here, but others, including the director, did. Now that he's here, he's basically saying that he's way behind and that he's pretty much fucked as a result?" Jade found herself perplexed at the apparent lacking of foresight into the matter.

"Basically," Tori said as she took a sip, frowning as she examined the contents and noticed little more than a small sip remaining. She tipped the cup in the direction of the line, indicating she needed more coffee.

Recognizing this, Jade got up and joined her. This time though, Tori was on her own as far as paying for her cup. And just because they were getting more coffee didn't mean that they were done with this conversation; Jade was too invested at this point. "And they want you to tutor him? Even though you haven't taken any of the classes yet yourself?"

Tori nodded, "Pretty much. He said that between my resume and that I graduated Hollywood Arts, that I'd be perfect. The way he made it sound out, the freshman year is basically a fifth year of high school."

"Well if it's like that, then you shouldn't have any issue. I mean, just teach him the shit we learned at Hollywood Arts." Tori gave Jade a curious look, to which Jade took notice of and responded with a look of her own, "What?"

"Jade, really? Teach him four years' worth of what we learned there? In six months?"

Jade chuckled, "Not everything. Just the important shit."

"Everything we learned is important though!"

"No it's not. Honestly, you think shit like that alphabetic improv thing is important?"

Tori thought back to the Orientation class and how O'Hennesy described it and the justification behind teaching it. "Well, the way he described it did make a bit of sense…" She quickly noticed that Jade wasn't actually paying attention at this point and was just waiting for the line to die down a bit further. But Tori knew better; she knew that Jade was just waiting for her to ask for her opinion. "So, what do you think I should do Jade?"

"Oh, you want to know my thoughts on the matter?" Jade asked in a sarcastic manner.

Suppressing the desire to punch Jade, Tori simply nodded, grinding her teeth behind a fake smile.

"Well, I mean, because you asked," Jade continued, remaining as sarcastic as before. "What would you be getting out of it?"

"What do you mean?" Tori asked, not realizing that the line had dwindled so greatly that now the two of them were next to be served. If it weren't for Jade noticing this, the two may very well have stood in line for however much longer. "Oh, I'm sorry. Tall coffee, three creams, three sugars."

The cashier quickly jotted down Tori's order as she looked up towards Jade. "Grande coffee. Black." As the two paid and waited for their drinks, Jade resumed the conversation, picking it back up as though it had never ended. "Well I mean, look at what's being asked of you. Tutor some guy who you have no idea even if he has any talent or anything. That's asking hell of a lot out of you."

"But, how would he have gotten into the program if he didn't have some talent?"

Jade gave Tori an incredulous look, "You already forget about Hollywood Arts, more specifically the other students who seemed to always be in the background?"

Tori shrugged, not wanting to admit Jade was right. Not because of any prideful reasons, but more not wanting to acknowledge the fact that there were a lot of students in Hollywood Arts that seemed to just never stand out, one way or another. "You're thinking that Tom might be another example of that?"

"I have no idea. I'm just saying, especially if that is the case, I want to know that I'm getting something out of it."

"Tori! Jade!"

Revitalized with more coffee, the two lounged about as time passed. Jade still had a good bit of time to go before she had to leave for class, and unlike Tori, she actually knew where to go. Tori didn't have much of any obligations for the remainder of the day at least, other than to perhaps give more consideration to O'Hennesy's proposal.

"Excited about your class?" Tori asked innocently. Judging at least by how she seemed yesterday, Jade wasn't in much of a mood for today, though much of that contempt may have been the fact that it was an Orientation for her.

"Fuck no. It's stupid that they apparently insist that we need to take a semester long Orientation course on this shit. I mean, what do they think we are? Braindead or something?"

"My director, he said that for performing arts, they treat everyone like they've never performed before. Maybe that's the same idea they have for scriptwriting."

"Well it's fucking dumb! I mean shit, I was valedictorian at Hollywood Arts for God's sake. You'd think that would merit me getting like an asterisk or some shit that'd exempt me from it." Jade didn't even make an effort to hide her anger towards the whole situation. Even yesterday her mood seemed similar to this, though now it seemed to be just a little bit more toxic, perhaps due to it now being an inevitability.

Tori said nothing and just silently sipped from her coffee, knowing that when Jade was like this any word could have set her off, even if not intentionally. As experience had taught her, it was best to just let Jade have her time. She'd be fine in a minute or two.

 _I'm a rockstar  
Hey baby_

 _I'm a rockstar  
_ _Hey baby_

The sound of her phone going off was actually what broke Tori from her moment of silence, and as she quickly glanced down to check the number, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of frustration.

"What's up?" Jade asked, taking note of Tori's frustration, but keeping her focus more directed on the Latina's phone.

Tori wasted no time in muting the ringtone and shoving the phone into her pocket, "Oh it's nothing really. Just this stupid number. Like every month they call me. Just one call, don't leave a message, nothing."

"What, like a solicitor or something?"

Tori shrugged, "No idea."

"No idea? How do you not know?"

"I just never answer it."

"Then did you at least look it up? Like check online, see who it is?"

Tori looked stunned at Jade's suggestion, "I can't do that!"

"The hell you mean you can't do that? Just type it in on Google. First result will probably show you it."

"But if I do that, what's to stop someone from looking up the fact that I looked up the number and then they'll be able to steal my identity?"

Jade just looked at Tori. _I swear to God; her dumb moments may just be sadder than Cat's… That's a scary, scary thought._

"Tori… You know that's not how identity theft works? Right?"

Tori was silent, simply looking at Jade, her eyes being apparent enough that she had genuinely believed what she had said only moments earlier. That said, she couldn't actually admit it, lest she be subjected to endless ridicule from Jade and whomever else would undoubtedly find out about it.

"Give me your phone," Jade demanded, holding her hand out across the table.

Although reluctant, Tori knew that failure to comply could mean Jade spreading Tori's oblivious moment to anyone and possibly everyone. Slowly pulling it out of her pocket, hoping that if she moved slowly Jade would eventually just give up, she finally placed it within Jade's palm.

Wasting no time in going through Tori's phone for the call log, Jade found herself mentally debating whether or not to further go through it, look at her texts, maybe see what embarrassing photos if any she kept on it. It wasn't every day that she had basically free reign to search Tori's phone.

Rather than that, she took the high road, instead finding Tori's recent calls and dialing the most recent number on her own personal phone.

"Wait. You're not actually going to call them are you?" Tori cried out, a little panicked at what might happen as a result of this.

Jade held up a finger, indicating for Tori to wait. From her phone she could hear the ringer sound play several times before finally stopping, going into what sounded like an automated message. She moved the phone closer to her ear so that Tori wouldn't be able to hear it. It took her almost no time at all to hang up on the call, putting her phone away and giving Tori back hers. "Yeah, don't worry about it."

"Who was it?" For as much as she herself didn't want to call and find out who it was, she was curious about what Jade had heard.

"Just some solicitor. Keep doing what you've been doing." Jade said quickly, putting the conversation to an end quickly. "What time is it?"

Tori quickly glanced down at her phone, a part of her wondering why Jade didn't just check her phone –or Tori's phone – herself only seconds ago. "About 1:20."

Jade nodded, reaching and downing what remained of her coffee in basically one giant sip. "Think I might get going. May be a couple of minutes early, but hopefully I can snag a seat in the back." She shot a smile at Tori, "Maybe I'll be able to get away with sleeping through the whole thing."

"Oh, you would absolutely love that," Tori remarked, knowing that Jade wouldn't put that past her.

Jade was about to walk out of the place before she found herself turned around and proceeding back towards Tori, "Almost forgot. Like I said, see if there'd be anything you could get out of this tutoring thing. If you're good at something, never do it for free."

Tori thought for a moment, wondering where she had heard that phase before it dawned on her. "Did you really just quote _The Dark Knight_. Like, really Jade?"

Jade chuckled, "What's worse? That I did or that you knew where it was from?"

"Fair enough. Talk to you later Jade!"

"See ya Tori," Jade called out as she made her way to class.

Before taking her leave herself, Tori thought about Jade's advice. It might have been a bit selfish, but perhaps it wasn't as insane an idea as she might have thought earlier. If there was one thing that she did seem to get about O'Hennesy, it was that he wasn't exactly conventional. Perhaps it would be something he'd go for, especially if he knew that he wouldn't have to compromise with his lesser options. But at the same time, he could perhaps just laugh at Tori's proposal and dismiss her. Either way, might not hurt to try.

 _Maybe I'll do that. Thanks Jade._

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 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	31. Building Blocks

**Chapter 31. Building Blocks**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

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 **...**

 **Gleason Center for the Performing Arts, UCLA -** **September 7th, Freshman Year**

 **...**

With the exception of the events that spawned from the first day, the rest of the week had proven to be otherwise bland, if not even a bit easy. Maybe even too easy than for what Tori Vega had been expecting it would be. A major at a well-regarded college, one that accepted only about twenty or so students out of the thousands that undoubtedly applied, and it seemed nothing different than it did at Hollywood Arts. Well, there was one difference and that was that rather than the eccentric Sikowitz, it was a medley of other instructors, each with their own respective quirks, but none the whole package like that of Sikowitz.

But even for as seemingly easy it had been up to this week, there was still the more urgent matter that she had yet to wholly decide on. That of course being whether or not she was going to take up O'Hennesy's offer of being an effective tutor for Tom. On its own, it seemed like a tall task, one that she couldn't help but feel concerned that she wasn't by any means qualified. That feeling had been to a considerable extent been dwelled in combination by both Jade's words of encouragement and exactly what her first few classes had shown her up to this point.

 _If that's all that they need me to teach him, it doesn't seem all that bad. I don't know though. Should I ask him about what Jade said? After all, it's a lot of time that'd it take…_

The reoccurring thought, perhaps what she found herself most uncertain of after having spoken with Jade; should she bother asking for extra credit. The way Jade described it wasn't a crazy one, not by any stretch. Most of the time, tutors are paid – at least she assumed so – either with a salary or some other form of incentive. Why should she be the exception? Especially when O'Hennesy had made it such a point to ask her after only just her first course.

 _I'm not too early am I?_ In the last minute or so, she may have peered down at the worn-down piece of paper at least a dozen times. Between that and her phone, she was certain that the time was correct, but at this rate, she couldn't say for certain. O'Hennesy, although not exactly like Sikowitz, had demonstrated enough that he wasn't 'conventional' himself. For all she knew, the time might have been right but the building could be wrong. What if he was in the gym or something? Maybe on the roof somewhere. _How the hell am I going to get to the roof? Would it be on the roof of this building?_

After another minute or two of waiting, she finally mustered the courage to move forward, hoping that all of her concerns weren't for nothing. Getting up from the bench that lay just outside of the door with "Brian O'Hennesy" stamped onto it, she proceeded inside.

To her surprise, there sat O'Hennesy, right at his desk overlooking a handful of papers.

Not until Tori closed the door did he seem to acknowledge her at all, a smile appearing on his face. "Tori! This is a bit of a surprise. What can I do for you?"

Taken a little bit by surprise, Tori had managed to convince herself that what she read time and time again was wrong. Yet, by what she saw right now, it didn't seem to be so. With a bit of reluctance, she proceeded towards one of the two seats positioned on the opposite side of O'Hennesy's desk. "This is your office hours, right?"

O'Hennesy nodded, "Yep. I've found that, believe it or not, students aren't exactly thrilled with the idea of coming in late on a Friday afternoon. Actually now that I think about it, they're a bit reluctant to come in at all, but at least with earlier office hours, there's a slightly better chance of them putting in the initiative." Realizing that he had begun to rant, he stopped speaking, knowing that he put himself at the risk of talking so much that Tori might leave. "I take it that's why you're here?"

"Yeah. I was, uh, hoping to talk to you actually. About the, you know?"

"You mean the idea of you helping Tom – and myself – by assisting him with this rapid cram?" O'Hennesy leaned forward, certainly more interested now that he knew the conversation was going to be about that as opposed to some other matter. "Have you given it any more thought?"

Tori mentally began to prepare her words. If she was going to go through with this, with Jade's suggestion, then she didn't want to burn any bridges in the process or possibly offend her director. She weakly nodded, biting her inner cheek before finally speaking, "I have actually."

"And?"

"Well, like I said on Monday, I'm flattered by the proposal. It's just…" She took a deep breath, "It's just it's a lot of work. After all, you are asking me to effectively cram a year's worth of multiple classes into like a three-month time span. Not to mention the fact that I have my own classes and stuff. So while I'm really grateful that you think of me being capable…"

O'Hennesy drew a smirk on his face as what sounded like a very faint chuckle escaped his lips. "You're saying that you'd like some sort of compensation for the effort? Something like extra credit, along those lines?"

Tori stared blankly for a moment. She thought that she was being much more discreet than what she was apparently. "Yeah…" She mumbled, a little bit embarrassed.

"Sure. We could work something out."

It took her for a complete shock, not just the idea of her proposing to her director for extra credit, to what amounted as basically blackmail in her eyes, but also the fact that he seemed all in favor of it. Judging by just the immediate reaction he gave, it seemed like he was all in favor of it. "Really? You're OK with that?" Tori found herself struggling to come up with words now, more surprised than anything else.

"Well, that would be contingent on you agreeing to this, of course." O'Hennesy said with a wide grin, bringing up the most important fact once again, that it was all dependent on Tori's decision. "And as such, I can't speak to you right now as far as what I can give you. You know, needless to say, I didn't expect you to make a proposal like that, but I don't mind it. Now, I'm not saying nor would I encourage that you attempt that with some of the other instructors. I doubt they'll be as accepting as I am, but that's to their own."

"So if I agree, if I say that I'll help Tom, then you'll give me extra credit?"

"Provided he passes, yes."

Tori's heart sank a little bit at hearing this. She figured that she would have been guaranteed something regardless of the outcome, just considering the time she was going to invest. That caveat that she was just given wasn't exactly what she was expecting. "I don't just get credit for agreeing?"

"Well, if I were to just give you extra credit outright, then what's to stop you from saying "Fuck it" and backing out on the thing?" He could see the shocked look on Tori's face and realized that what he was saying, "Not saying that you would do such a thing. I am speaking more in generalities, and in a case like this, where unfortunately so much is riding on this being successful, I need to ensure that everyone is committed one hundred percent."

"I get it…" Tori lamented slightly in disappointment. It wasn't the fact that she was going to have to be successful to get the extra credit. That seemed obvious enough, but rather it was that it seemed that each time O'Hennesy spoke of this little project, he seemed to raise the stakes on it. Though she had no evidence, she couldn't help but think a bit had to do with the apparent divide that he spoke of between him and some of the other professors.

O'Hennesy got up from his desk and started to walk towards the printer that lay in one of the far corners of the room. "But I do understand your desire for the extra credit. It certainly makes sense, especially given that I imagine you nor Tom have really made any effort in reaching out to each other, have you?"

She didn't want to admit it, but it was unfortunately true. Outside of Monday, the two of them hadn't so much as even seen each other on campus again. She had even tried to look him on TheSlap but found that he didn't have an account there, which she found to be the most shocking thing of it all. In this day of age, who isn't on TheSlap!? Ultimately, Tori chose not to answer the director's question, instead letting the silence speak for itself.

Her lack of a response was quickly picked up by the director, who very discreetly shook his head as he grabbed a sheet of paper and proceeded back to his desk. "I figured as much. Following Monday, I can see it being a little tough for either side to reach out to one another. We'll amend that tonight."

Tori rose an eyebrow with confusion. _Tonight? What's going on tonight? Did he decide that Tom and I are in trouble?_ "What's tonight?"

"Well, while you're a little bit of an exception given I was there for your Senior Showcase, for the most part I haven't heard any of you perform since you all had your auditions. The fact is, it'd be a hypocritical of me if I were to judge Tom and not the rest of you, wouldn't it? So I've decided tonight, you're all going to start performing."

"You're going to have all of us perform tonight?"

"Yes and no. I am going to have all of you perform, yes. But not necessarily tonight. I will be giving you the option to perform tonight. Those that decline will be expected to perform on Monday instead."

"Alright, so that'll be here then?" This was a surprise, but the more O'Hennesy spoke and explained things, the more excited she found herself. Yes, it would be a chance for her to perform again and show off what she could do. But it would also give her a chance to see how well everyone else performs, Tom especially. Once she knew how he performed, that might sway her towards deciding on O'Hennesy's proposal.

"No, not here. Granted, certainly an accommodating enough size for us to host these performances. But no, there'd be an element lacking to your performances. After all, what pressure is there when it's only your fellow peers?"

"Where then?"

There again appeared a wide grin on O'Hennesy's face. "I feel I may have given away too much to you already. You'll know later on today when I send out the email to your class." He abruptly ended the conversation as he looked over some files which were on his desk. Feeling a bit awkward just sitting there, Tori got up from her seat and began towards the door, figuring that there wasn't much more for her to learn here.

"Oh Tori," O'Hennesy called out as she was just about to the door. "Like I said, those that perform tonight do not have to on Monday. That option doesn't extend to you or Tom. You're both going to perform, and perform before the rest of your classmates."

Tori said nothing and simply walked out. After all, what was she to say? Just with the way he said it, it was apparent enough that there was no negotiating the matter. She was going to sign tonight, and she was going to get a chance to hear Tom as well. But she also recognized what else it meant; that the time she had to give the proposal thought was coming to an end. Very soon she would have to give a final decision.

 **...**

 **Tori's Room, The Apartment**

 **...**

"So, where is it exactly?" Jade asked, leaning over Tori's shoulder as she did her best to read the email plastered across the screen of the Latina's laptop.

Tori rotated her shoulder, trying her best to push Jade off without actually having to push her. While she appreciated Jade's interest, there was something about Jade reading her emails which she wasn't too keen on. "Must you read my email? And over my shoulder no less?"

Jade rose an eyebrow and briefly looked at Tori, almost feeling the need to indulge such questions with an answer. She then returned her attention towards the computer screen, causing Tori to simply look on with disbelief. "Relax Vega, it's just an email from your teacher. Not like it's some private correspondence from your Sicilian lover."

"And how do you know that it isn't? Huh?"

Jade smiled, "Because your life's not all that exciting."

"Really!?" Tori exclaimed, as taken aback by Jade's remark as she was without any good comeback of her own.

"Aw, it's OK Tori," Jade said in a sarcastic tone, similar to how a person would speak to their dog. To add further emphasis, she scratched her hand against Tori's head, as if she were a dog. As all of this went on, Tori couldn't help but grateful that they were in the privacy of their apartment. Had this taken place in some public place like at Taco Vente or in the library, it would tough to say but she suspected that she might die of embarrassment. As Jade continued to objectify Tori, she further read through the email, knowing now that she wasn't going to get any resistance from the Latina. "The Bruins' Den…" The name was intriguing to her. She was certain that she had heard some students talking about it at some point or another during the week, but she had yet to go there herself. "Hey Andre," she yelled out, "You know where the Bruins' Den is?"

"Yeah, I think I ran across it when I was coming from class one day," Andre called out from the other room, the sound of the TV blaring just barely audible as well. "Didn't actually go in, but a pretty big building all the same. Why?"

"Come in here," Jade yelled out again. She was hardly interested in having to yell to Andre the entirety of the email Tori had gotten. That'd be far too much effort and work on her part when he could just read it himself.

After a bit of a delay, no doubt due in part to him taking his sweat time to get up from the couch, Andre finally graced Tori and Jade with his presence. "So what's up? Why the interest in the Bruin's Den?" He asked, his voice hinting that he wanted to return to his show as quickly as possible.

"Our little Tori here is going to be performing there tonight," Jade enthusiastically remarked, making the event sound more interesting than it perhaps was for Andre.

"OK, so we'll be there. Couldn't you have told me that without having to drag me away from my show?" Andre asked, not quite as excited as perhaps he might have been other times. Moreover, he seemed irritated by the fact that he had indeed been pulled away to be told something that could have waited.

However, he couldn't help but worry just a little bit at the sight of the wicked grin on Jade's face, one that had him convinced that there was more to this than just that. "But that's not all…"

Andre gave a curious look. What else was there that Jade apparently felt was so exciting, so enticing for her to tease?

"She'll be performing with _Tom…"_ The way she spoke Tom's name, it was like that of a high school girl who was in love. Granted, she had never met Tom, but that was hardly the point. She knew exactly what was being implied, and just how Andre was going to react to that.

Tori also picked up immediately on what Jade was doing too, hoping to diffuse things before Andre got the wrong impression. "He's just a guy in my major. She hasn't even met him, let alone come to any real conclusions." She looked right at Jade who seemed to be pleasantly enjoying herself. _Why did you have to make up stuff like that? Like really? And to Andre no less!?_

Andre looked at Tori and Jade for a moment before a small smile dawned on his face, "Should have figured. It is Jade after all," He chuckled lightly to which Tori nodded in agreement. "So what time are we going?"

"My instructor said that he wants me there by about 7:30. So, I don't know, we leave at like 7? Or is that too early?" Unfortunately, Tori was completely oblivious to where this place was, and given her poor track record thus far with finding places on campus on time, a buffering time that long almost felt necessary.

"From what I've seen of it, the place gets pretty packed. I mean, it's not all that far from here, maybe like ten, maybe fifteen minutes to get there," Andre spoke.

"Just the traffic through the doors might be shitty," Jade concluded, quickly getting what he was hinting at.

Andre nodded. "Honestly, might even wanna consider a little earlier than 7. Maybe 6:30 or 6:45."

"You think Beck would want to come along," Tori asked, beginning to put away her laptop before Jade got the urge to snoop through the rest of Tori's emails.

"I don't think he's got anything going on. At least not important. So sure!" Jade casually remarked. The reality was she had no idea what he was doing. While she was impressed by just how aggressively it was that he was pursuing auditions seemingly left and right, but it also started to seem like there was some distance growing between them. As far as his plans went in general, she was becoming less and less in the loop.

"Alright, so we leave then at, does 6:30 work for you guys?" Tori asked.

"Fine with me," Jade responded.

Andre nodded as well, "That's cool with me. Now, you mind if I go back to my show?" He asked as he pointed in the general direction of the door out of Tori's room.

Jade smiled and nodded, with which Andre wasted no time in basically rushing towards the living room again. Once he was gone, Jade turned to Tori, "So, what're your plans now?"

Tori shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe take a nap or something?"

"You think that's a good idea? After all, your track record with waking up on time sucks. Just throwing it out there."

"It does not!" Tori wanted to look shocked, but deep down she knew that Jade was right. But to give her that acknowledgement? No way!

Jade smirked, "Yeah, sure. When you want me to get you up, you know, assuming when you sleep past your three or four alarms?"

"I won't sleep past my _one_ alarm!" Tori stopped for a moment, "But, if I were to sleep past it, could you get me up at around 5?"

"Sure," Jade said, holding back laughter as she walked out of Tori's room. She could tell already that there was probably a ninety percent chance that she'd have to wake Tori up. _I hope she doesn't start to get the idea that this'll be a reoccurring thing_ _._ Before getting to her room, Jade quickly glanced into the living room, seeing what Andre was doing. And to her surprise it seemed like he was on his phone while the TV played in the background. She couldn't help but wonder if he was ever actually watching whatever was playing or if he had just been on his phone the entire time.

 _Really? This was what you were so worried about? Oh Andre… What are we going to do with you?_

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave a review!**


	32. Prove Your Worth

**Chapter 32. Prove Your Worth**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious.**

* * *

 **...**

 **The Bruin's Den, UCLA -** **September 7th, Freshman Year**

 **...**

"Damn, this place is packed," Beck remarked, the shock in his voice being seeming completely foreign given the current setting. Even from someone who might have been passing by the exterior of the Bruin's Den, it was clear enough that there were tons of people, both inside and waiting in line. But to actually walk into the place and see the seemingly-endless amount of students gathered inside, it was another thing entirely.

"Wait," Andre started, his focus unable to remain at any given point, instead bouncing all throughout to various different faces, "Your professor expects you to perform here? You and your class?" He couldn't help but think that it wasn't possible, not due to talent or personal limitations, but rather due to the concern of would Tori's class actually make it? And if they were here, how would anyone be able to tell?

"Yeah, that's what he said, that's what his email to the class said," The fact was, the only thing of the email that she actually cared about was the location listed on it. Everything that was discussed in her meeting with O'Hennesy earlier today was all that Tori needed to know, that regardless of what the email might say, about whether or not the majority of the class would be either intimidated or just opt to not perform, that she wasn't afforded that choice. _When he said beyond just my peers, I wasn't expecting this. This is like a full concert, not just performing for an assignment…_

Andre could see the surprise on Tori's face, undoubtedly at just the quantity of people there. From what he had heard about on campus, this place was a common hotspot, one that had been known to draw in huge crowds, especially during football games and such, but on the first Friday night of the school year? In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think that more people would be partying than spending their evening here. "How many of them you actually think will perform?"

Tori shrugged her shoulders. Of the nineteen other students in her Orientation course, she only knew of a handful of them, Tom among them. Outside of what little she knew of him though, she didn't really know much personally about any of them. She had preferred to focus on her work, breezing through it as it seemed some of the others struggled. "All I know is I am and so is Tom…"

Beck couldn't help but flash a quick glance at Andre as Tori spoke. He didn't know why, but there was something to the whole thing, the whole situation with Tom, that Beck wasn't keen on. Perhaps it was the fact that Tori said nothing to him about it – though it wasn't as if it were any of his business. The only reason he knew about it at all was because Jade brought it up to him, but even still, he couldn't help but wonder if Tori had told Andre or if he was as much in the dark about the whole thing as he might have been.

"He might not even show up. I mean, look at this place. Can barely move, let alone get in," Jade reasoned, having otherwise been occupied with pushing her way towards the nearby bar and just returning, now with a small flyer in her hand.

"Well, you seemed to have managed that well enough," Beck said with a slightly intrigued tone, "What've you got there?" he asked, immediately taking notice to Jade's flyer.

Handing it to Beck, Jade turned her head around them, marveling at all the people who crammed in all around them, "Take a look. No doubt that explains why there's so many people here."

Hearing this, Andre and Beck both immediately shifted their focus onto the flyer while Tori continued to look around, wondering if Jade might have been right, if Tom would just pass on showing up. And unfortunately, given what she had seen of him up to this point, it was quite the possibility. "What's it say?" She asked, noticing what looked like wide smiles on both the faces of Beck and Andre.

Andre coughed as he took the flyer from Beck, holding it out as if he were reading from a script, "Come to the Bruin's Den to celebrate the completion of the first week of classes and the start of the UCLA Bruins' football season with the Bruins' Den fifth annual Singing Competition."

Tori's eyes widened, a sense of panic starting to set in at the realization that these people might have been here for that, for what was essentially a singing contest. "Everyone's here for just for a singing contest?" She let out a faint chuckle, "It's like Karaoke Dokie all over again."

"Except I don't think this is a weekly thing, and Karaoke Dokie never had prizes like this…"

"Prizes like what?"

"Winner receives four tickets to UCLA Bruins' season opener against Michigan State!" Finally managing to peel his eyes away from the flyer, he gave it back to Jade before exchanging looks with Beck, both of them seeming to be impressed with the offering. "Four tickets to tomorrow's game? Damn, that's pretty fucking nice, if I do say so myself."

Tori couldn't help but roll her eyes at how excited all of a sudden the boys got. Just because it was something having to do with sports, now they were effectively dribbling fanboys. Jade looked just as uninterested at Tori, if not much less so than the Latina. "What's so special about some game?"

Beck lifted his eyes, smirking at Jade and Tori's lack of enthusiasm, "Aside from the fact that it's the season opener or that they're playing here, how about the fact that the tickets for it have been sold out for like, well over a month already?"

"Or that if you're looking at trying to get them through a scalper, you're looking at like, at least a hundred dollars per person." Andre added, "And that was then. Now, God, I'd have to imagine they'd be going for maybe double that."

Jade rose an eyebrow hearing this, "Two hundred dollars? Per ticket?"

"Probably more than that, especially if the seats are even somewhat decent."

A wicked smile appeared upon Jade's face, causing Tori to be a little worried that it might not be with good intentions, "Jade? Why are you smiling?"

"Because Vega, I'm about to make an easy thousand dollars. That's why."

Beck chuckled, "And just how're you gonna make a grand? Snap your fingers or something?"

"It's simple," Jade held up a hand began to lift a finger with each part of her explanation. "I'm going to enter the contest. I'm going to win the contest. And then tomorrow I'm going to sell those tickets to the highest possible bidder and pocket the money."

"What do you mean you're going to sell them?" Andre exclaimed in a panic.

The expression on Beck's face showed that he was similarly concerned with what Jade was saying. "Yeah, you're really just going to sell the tickets if you win? Think about how great a game that could be, what an awesome way to start off the year it'd be!"

"Oh, I'm sure you two would love it, but that money would go a long, long way towards a new tattoo for me." She glared right at Beck with piercing eyes, "And wouldn't you agree that that'd be just precious?"

Andre shook his head, "Look, I'm sorry Jade, but a new tattoo against four tickets to a sold out game, for our school now, mind you. That's a pretty clear decision to me."

Jade turned her attention to Andre, "What? You're gonna to enter?"

"Damn right! But I'm not just going to enter. I'm going to win," Andre confidently said. Beck's patting him on the back only further heightened his confidence while angering Jade. The two of them departed, pushing their way through the crowds in the same direction that Jade had ventured to, leaving Jade and Tori to themselves.

"You don't seem all that thrilled," Tori casually remarked, noticing the irritation on Jade's face.

"He can say that he's going tow in until he's blue in the face. It doesn't change the fact that I'm going to win."

Tori smiled at Jade's confidence, but while she admired that Jade was so sure she'd win, the fact that she and Andre and Beck held such contrasting views on how they'd use the tickets only spelt out the reality that there was no way that none of them would be happy. Either Jade won and the guys would be miserable. Andre wins and then Jade is miserable. Or they both lose, and everyone's miserable. As to where Tori stood on the issue, she was pretty much indifferent, though she couldn't help but finding herself leaning towards Andre's and Beck's position.

 _You know, it might be fun just to go to one game, just to say that we did it. Who knows. It might even be fun!_

"So I guess you already signed up?"

Jade turned her head slightly, nodding just enough to answer her question, "Yep. You should think about it too, entering I mean."

Surprised by Jade's suggestion, Tori couldn't help but wonder why suggest it at all, "Me? Just a minute ago you were saying how confident you were that you'd win. Why would you want me to enter then?"

Tori knew that it probably wasn't for any good reason once she saw the smirk form on Jade's lips, "Oh I'd still win. But at least then Andre wouldn't be able to be like, 'Well you would have lost if Tori entered!'" She laughed as Tori simply shook her head, thinking for whatever reason that Jade's rationale would be different.

"So kind of you to say Jade," Tori sarcastically remarked as she felt Jade's fist lightly punch against her shoulder, taking a step back to make it seem like she was struck harder than she actually was. "Here I was thinking that you were going to insist that I enter and you and I aim to win together. Girl power, you know?"

Jade let out a chuckle, "Girl power? What are we, in middle school? Besides, assuming that I were to even entertain that idea, are you expecting half the money or something?"

Tori shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't given it all that much thought really…" It was a valid question that Jade posed. Say that Jade might have agreed to some deal of some sort with Tori; what would she expect from it? If Jade was serious about pawning the tickets, would Tori be entitled to half the money? Would she just take two of the tickets for herself and then allow Jade to sell the other two?

"Well, I don't know about that. I mean, a thousand dollars can go a long way towards an eventual sleeve," Jade remarked as she held out her arm, mentally envisioning what it might look like down the line. She shot a look at Tori, who seemed to have been doing the same, imagining what Jade might get as well. "Maybe you should get a tattoo. Ever consider it?"

Tori shook her head hastily, "Oh no. I don't even want to imagine how my dad might react if he were to ever find one on me."

"What would he care? You're over eighteen. You're an adult now." Jade argued. Even if Tori might have been receptive to the idea of getting a tattoo, Jade had trouble imaging just what she might have gotten. Probably something fluffy like a music note or something. No doubt it'd be small, small enough to barely even notice that it was there at all. Darting her eyes away from Tori and instead towards where Andre and Beck were, both of whom still waiting to sign up for the singing contest themselves. "How long does it take them to sign up? Honestly…"

Tori chuckled. It seemed like when Jade signed up, however the hell it was that she signed up, she did it quick, much faster than it seemed that it was taking Andre and Beck. _Is Beck even going to enter? Can he really sing?_ She was about to make a remark to that effect before stopping as she felt her phone vibrate within her pocket.

 **Where are you? – Unknown Number**

A part of her initially figured it to have been the person who had been calling her over the past few months, but that was almost immediately put to rest when she saw the area code was completely different. "718 area code? Where's that?"

Jade turned her head as Tori asked the question. "No idea. Why?" She asked as she practically tore Tori's phone out of her hands, noticing the text from the unknown person. "Who's this?"

Tori shrugged her shoulders. "No idea." It didn't register to her quickly, not until Jade had given her back the phone that she noticed that Jade had texted the number. "Oh God Jade, what'd you say?"

 **Who the fuck is this? – Tori**

"Really Jade!? You can't be a little bit friendlier than that?" She sort of hoped to get a message indicating that the text failed to send. For all anyone knew, this could have been a record company representative. Tori herself didn't believe it was, but if it was someone texting her, Jade could at least try to be a little civil. "You know, chances are the person's not going to text back now."

Jade rolled her eyes. "You're talking like that's a bad thing or something."

Tori shook her head. _Seriously Jade, you can be just, I don't even know to describe it. Infuriating! That's the word!_ She could tell that Jade was satisfied with herself. Tori wouldn't put it past her to assume that that was a common practice of Jade's, to be as completely vulgar as possible to prank callers or solicitors so they'd never call back. That the phone vibrated again came as a bit of a surprise to Tori.

 **Sorry. It's Tom Black. Is this Tori Vega? – Unknown Number**

Jade leaned over slightly to catch a quick glance of Tori's phone, raising an eyebrow in slight surprise at the fact that the messaging app was open. "Wow, did they still around? Maybe it wasn't a solicitor after all." She cracked a smile as Tori glanced up from the screen, a smile appearing upon her's as well. "Who is it then?"

"Tom," Tori quickly remarked, wasting little time in typing away at the phone.

 **Yes! Sorry 4 the first text. That was my friend. At the Bruins Den. U? – Tori**

"Oh, so it's the new guy? Are we finally going to meet him?" Jade said with a deceptive twang in her voice.

 _Come on Jade, don't be cruel…_ Tori shook her head once again. Why did it seem like she was just taking a complete thrill in doing things like this, planting these notions that there was something going on when there wasn't? "Doesn't matter how sultry you make your voice, doesn't mean that it's any less not the truth." She shot a sinister smile of her own towards Jade, "And you know, I was originally going to suggest it, but now I'm a little leery on the whole idea. Wouldn't want you stealing him from me, after all," she joked.

"Cute," Jade hissed. "But better be careful with the jokes. Some people might get the wrong impression," Jade remarked as the turned her head back towards the general direction where Andre and Beck had gone off to. The brief light that flashed from Tori's phone pulled her eyes away.

Originally making a small effort to conceal her phone from Jade's eyes, Tori quickly gave up, knowing that if she tried any further at keeping her messages private that Jade would just take the phone again. And now that she knew it was Tom who was texting her, who was to say what she might send him.

 **At the bruin's den. Killin' time waiting for you. At the bar area near the stage. – Tom**

Putting her phone back into her pocket, Tori briefly spun herself around, trying to get an idea of where the stage was. _Wow! It's actually pretty close._ Just as she was about to start walking away, she remembered that Jade was still there. _Hmm, don't know why I thought she'd have gone with Beck right just then. Weird._ "Hey Jade, I'm gonna find Tom. I wouldn't be shocked if he and I'll be performing soon. If Andre or Beck asks where I went-"

"Don't worry. I'll just tell them that you two ran off together to become a pair of traveling performers," Jade joked, bursting out into a near full laugh as she saw the irritated face of Tori's. "I'm kidding! You have your assignment thing, I got it."

A part of Tori still wasn't sure if Jade would say that or go with what she first suggested. Smiling, she waved farewell to Jade as she disappeared within the crowd as she slowly made her way through them towards the stage. Yet even though the location wasn't all that far from where she and company had been, the heavy capacity didn't give much in terms of being able to move. With every few feet she was able to move in any particular direction, she couldn't help but worry that there might have been someone who may have tried to touch something they shouldn't.

By the time that she did actually manage her way through to the bar-like counter nearest the stage, Tori had become utterly convinced that someone had managed to take something of hers, be it her phone, wallet, whatever. It had become such the prevalent concern that the only thing on her mind had become whether or not she had been the victim of a mugging.

"Hey Tori," a voice called out, causing Tori to jump in a moment of panic. Turning around in a frenzied state, she couldn't help but take a breath of relief at the sight of Tom, having taken a step back in a manner very similar to the first time that the two had met. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

Tori smiled, hoping that that'd make her come off as a bit less intimidating. She could only imagine how those in the immediate proximity might have viewed her as at that moment. _Probably thinking that I'm so crazy chick. That might be a good way to avoiding weird people._ After a few more seconds of fruitless searching for anything missing, Tori finally took a breath, knowing that what could have been a disastrous situation had been averted. "Sorry 'bout that. Had a little, panic attack there."

Tom nodded, "Sorta figured that. Things good?"

"Yeah," Tori remarked as she shoved her phone in her pocket. While she had made sure not to lose anything, she still found herself being a little bit paranoid. "Didn't think you were gonna show."

"You know, had it been left up to me, wouldn't have." Tom casually remarked, his response not greatly surprising Tori. Up to this point, he didn't seem nearly as thrilled as Tori was with regards to being here. "By the way, sorry if my text freaked you out or something. Hennesy gave me your number last week, I guess hoping that we'd have come to a decision by now."

"I think if it were anyone else I'd be worried, but I wouldn't put giving it to you past O'Hennesy. I think he's starting to get a little tired of us." She couldn't help but smile at Tom's reaction, a small chuckle which seemed to contrast the otherwise irritable attitude he had shown up to this point. "Is he here? O'Hennesy, I mean."

Tom walked up towards the counter, leaning over it slightly as he pointed more towards the stage. "Down there. Was giving everyone some bullshit lecture or whatever about this place." He shook his head, his body language showing his disinterest, to which Tori couldn't help but agree with. They both came here tonight knowing that they'd be performing. If they wanted a lecture they could just go to class. "Had to guess, I'd say he was killing time waiting for you to show."

"Well, I'm here now." Tori said with a slight hint of enthusiasm as Tom nodded in agreement. Almost immediately following he began pushing his way through the crowd, leaving a faint trail of space behind him, just enough for Tori to move through without the panic of being pickpocketed. With what only seemed like a few seconds compared to how long it took previously to get from where Jade was to their previous point, Tori found herself amongst a large group composed of herself, Tom, O'Hennesy, and the other students in her Performers' Orientation course, unable to put any names to their faces.

"Ah, Tori! Glad of you to finally join us," O'Hennesy remarked as he quickly proceeded towards her, taking light hold of her arm as he dragged her more towards the center of the group, all of the eyes averting onto her as a result. "You had some of us worried that you were going to bail on us tonight."

Tori shook her head vehemently, not sure if O'Hennesy was joking or not. "No! I wasn't going to do that!"

O'Hennesy smiled as a variety of snickers and chuckles spread throughout the group encircling them. "It's quite alright. Was more concerned with others myself," he said as he quickly glared towards Tom before focusing again to Tori, "But, as we're all here, no more reason to be concerned with things. But, there is someone I want you two to meet." Approaching the counter, the director pounded his fist several times against the hard wood, grabbing the attention of a slightly older gentleman that looked to have been about the same age as O'Hennesy, give or take a few years possibly. "Tori, Tom, seeing as you two opted to not stay for the brief history lesson, let me just quickly introduce you to Charles Mosely, owner of the Bruin's Den."

"Chuck, Chuck Mosely. Please, if any more of your students call me Charles, I'll start thinking that I'm a lot older than you're making me out to be." The man's voice was raspy, like that of a jazz musician, but there was also a youthful element to it, one that was a bit tough to accurately pinpoint. "Good to meet you," He said as he held his arm out across the bar, shaking it with Tori as he and Tom exchanged nodding glances.

"You own this place?" Tori asked, finding herself taking another widening look throughout the entire place, finding herself more appreciating the size of it all.

Chuck nodded, "For the better part of the last fifteen or so years. God, makes me feel old now saying that."

"In addition to that, Chuck's been basically an unofficial adviser to our major. Provided feedback, offered advice to students, given them room to practice, things like that. Without his help, hard to say where we'd be now." O'Hennesy spoke with gleaming admiration, Tori immediately picking up on the amount of respect he held for Mosely.

"I prefer not to look in 'what ifs'. The main thing is that some of you are performing tonight, right?"

There was a bit of silence throughout the students, none of them wanting to acknowledge that truth. Tori found it weird that nobody looked excited like how she honestly was. Perhaps it was the fact that none of them had really performed before, the very real possibility of stage fright being forefront in their minds.

"Yes, should they be up for it," O'Hennesy spoke loudly, but at the same time in an inviting way. He didn't want to pressure anyone to perform, but he was hopeful that there might have been a couple of students that'd be singing beyond the two already set. "These two though, they're definitely going to," he said, referring to and pointing towards Tom and Tori.

Chuck nodded as he examined the two students. Tori didn't seem all that phased, but if anything, excited. With Tom, there was a bit of indifference, perhaps a bit of panic, but he did a good job keeping it hidden nonetheless. "Excellent." He turned to O'Hennesy, "Now, I don't know how you wanna do this. If they're entering in tonight's competition, I can push them up, have them go one and two in the entries."

"How does that sound for you two?" O'Hennesy inquired, focused on Tom and Tori, rather than the rest of the class. If someone was going to sing, it fell upon them to step up; otherwise it was fair to assume that they'd just sing come Monday.

Tori shrugged her shoulders, "That's fine with me." While she might have looked to be indifferent about the whole thing, she was actually excited about entering. Besides the fact that it was a singing competition, the fact that she could very likely end up beating Jade and Andre – and even Beck too if he were to enter – and then have the freedom to do whatever she'd like with the tickets, it was too appealing to pass up on.

"And you Tom?"

To Tori's disappointment, Tom didn't seem as receptive as to the idea, shaking his head. "Nah. Really not feeling it."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, his decision was immediately met with mocking remarks and claims of being afraid from the other students, something that Tori couldn't help but find a bit hypocritical. _So, if they're going to give him crap because he doesn't want to enter, that means they're going to right? To show him up?_

"Hey now, that's not necessary." O'Hennesy chastised the others. "You don't have to enter it, but that does mean that you'll have to wait until everyone who did enter has gone up before you can. Might take a little while."

 _Oh there's no way that he's going to stick around for maybe hours for this. He's definitely going to enter._

Tom sighed, seeming to have made up his mind as soon as O'Hennesy brought up the fact that he'd have to wait. "Fine. I'll enter the contest I guess." Even though it wasn't clear as to how many people did enter, it was probably the furthest thing from what he actually wanted to do. Stick around for hours at a place that you didn't want to be in the first place, it was a no-brainer for him.

Chuck clapped his hands from behind the counter, satisfied that what seemed like the final missing link had been found and taken care of. "Excellent. Now, just real quick, which of you two will be going up first?"

Tori and Tom exchanged glances for a moment before Tori rose her hand meekly, "I'll go."

"Good luck," she overheard Tom say as he proceeded towards the counter, taking a seat as he prepared to watch her perform.

"Very good," Chuck said, his words trailing as he took not only Tori by surprise but a good deal of the people in the immediate area as he got up onto the counter, showing some spring which his appearance otherwise hid. "Everyone!" His voice boomed through the speakers as Tori saw the mic that he seemingly made appear from nowhere, "Welcome to the Bruin's Den! Glad to have you all here!"

A roaring applause echoed throughout the place, it putting into a much better perspective of just how many people were actually there.

"It's great to see so many people here tonight! I hope it's not because all the parties got busted up already… To the point, it's time to begin the fifth annual singing contest. I'm sure I don't have to explain, but for the five or six people unaware, we're awarding four tickets to tomorrow's football game. Apparently it's a big one or something." Several cheers and snickers echoed throughout the crowd. "We'll be accepting late participants for the next ten minutes so if you're looking to enter, do so now!" He paused for a moment as he watched at least a dozen or so people quickly make their way towards the bar counters, some of them undoubtedly hoping to either grab a drink or place an order of food, but there would be at least some who were entering. "Now then, let's give it up for the first contestant of tonight's festivities! Tori Vega!"

A great deal of applause echoed throughout the place, much of the heaviest concentration being not just from the gathering of the students in Tori's class, but also the reunited group of Jade, Andre, and Beck, all now having moved more towards the counters themselves for a seat as opposed to standing the entire time. "Nervous Jade?" Andre asked, noting the surprise on her face of hearing Tori's name called.

"Hardly," Jade coolly remarked. _Now it's going to be fun!_ She watched now as Tori took the stage, the Latina being perhaps the biggest contender between her and the thousand dollars she stood to make. And as the music began to play, she couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Of course she'd pick this one!"

 _Are you listening? Hear me talk, hear me sing._

 _Open up the door, is it less, is it more?_

 _When you tell me to beware, are you here? Are you there?_

 _Is it something I should know? Easy come, easy go._

 _Nodding your head, don't hear a word I said_

 _I can't communicate, when you wait, don't relate_

 _I try to talk to you but you never even knew,_

 _So what's it gonna be? Tell me can you hear me?_

It didn't take much for her performing to get those in attendance into a lively mood. Jade and Andre exchanged looks which spelt out a clear message that neither of them could argue; that Tori hadn't lost a step since Hollywood Arts.

 _I'm so sick of it, Your attention deficit_

 _Never listen, you never listen._

 _I'm so sick of it, So I'll throw a_ _nother fit._

 _Never listen, you never listen._

 _I scream your name,_

 _It always stays the same._

 _I scream and shout,_

 _So what I'm gonna do now is freak the freak out!_

Similarly, nearest the counter, O'Hennesy and the rest of Tori's class seemed impressed themselves. While he already knew of what Tori was capable of, seeing that his trust wasn't misplaced, that he wasn't overselling her abilities, it was a refreshing fact. Alienating himself slightly from the rest of the group, Tom also seemed rather impressed, following the performance throughout.

 _I'm so sick of it, Your attention deficit_

 _Never listen, you never listen._

 _I'm so sick of it, So I'll throw a_ _nother fit._

 _Never listen, you never listen._

 _I scream your name,_

 _It always stays the same._

 _I scream and shout,_

 _So what I'm gonna do now is freak the freak out!_

As those within the Bruin's Den cheered her on, some even clamoring for an encore, Tori took a slight bow before quickly departing from the stage. The appraising wasn't new to her, and for as nice as it was, she was more confident and satisfied with not just the fact that she had put on a great performance, but also that she had put everyone – including Jade – who might have been against her on notice.

Tori Vega was in it to win it.

"Good luck," she semi-mockingly said to Tom as she passed by him towards the counter, gently tapping his back as if to usher him off his seat.

With reluctance, Tom got up and started to slowly to take the opposite route Tori had just gone, waiting until Chuck would actually call him up onto the stage. "Tough to top that performance, but someone's gotta. Best of luck to our next contestant! Tom Black!"

"Now we finally get to see Mr. Tom," Jade remarked with a wicked smile on her face as both Andre and Beck became completely invested now in what was going on. If there was any doubt as to whether Jade's remark earlier in the day had left any impression on Andre, there was no more need. They did. "Oh. He's cute," Jade said, finding herself surprised. For whatever reason, she had presumed this Tom character to be a scrawny-little Sinjin-looking character, not the athletic-looking one standing alone on stage.

Beck said nothing, instead just turning towards Jade, an obviously-annoyed look on his face.

"This is the guy? Another meathead, what a shock," Andre said disapprovingly as he shook his head. From what little Jade had acquainted him of the whole situation over the duration of the day, he didn't like the whole thing. He knew how hard Tori had worked to get into UCLA, but not so they would abuse her talents and have her tutor some other guy. If this guy got into the major, he should have to put the same amount of work as she should, not doubly burden Tori. _Can this guy even sing for that matter?_

As he collected his thoughts and took a final breath, Tom opened his eyes to see the faces of everyone, all their focus on him. All of them waiting – just like him – for the music to start playing.

 _Am I wrong for thinking out the box from where I stay?_

 _Am I wrong for saying that I choose another way?_

 _I ain't trying to do what everybody else doin'_

 _Just 'cause everybody doin' what they all do_

 _If one thing I know, I'll fall but I'll grow_

 _I'm walking down this road of mine, this road that I call home_

She didn't want to say it, but Tori was surprised, perhaps even a bit impressed. Given how it seemed like Tom had been intentionally avoiding her, she had convinced herself that maybe the reason was because Tom couldn't perform well on stage, let alone sing. He was proving her wrong right now.

 _So am I wrong?_

 _For thinking that we could be something for real?_

 _Now am I wrong?_

 _For trying to reach the things that I can't see?_

 _But that's just how I feel,_

 _That's just how I feel,_

 _That's just how I feel,_

 _Trying to reach the things that I can't see._

"He's not too bad," Beck couldn't help but admitting. In a way he felt torn, wanting to agree with Andre, to find a reason to not like this Tom guy, and certainly from the time he first took the stage to now, Andre had probably come up with a handful of reasons to not care for Tom. Beck found himself more reluctant to so quickly side with Andre, but that also didn't mean he wasn't about to welcome Tom with open arms either. On that front, he found himself more siding with Andre.

 _So am I wrong?_

 _For thinking that we could be something for real?_

 _Now am I wrong?_

 _For trying to reach the things that I can't see?_

 _But that's just how I feel,_

 _That's just how I feel,_

 _That's just how I feel,_

 _Trying to reach the things that I can't see._

As his song finished, it was met with a similar round of applause like that of Tori's, though not quite as explosive. _That's not a shock, especially after Tori's.._ _._ Opting not to take a bow but instead just departing from the stage, Tom couldn't help but see O'Hennesy and Chuck Mosely speaking with another, a smile on the director's face. _Is that about me?_ While he wondered what the two might be talking about, he knew thinking more about it would just irritate him. Returning towards where he been seating earlier, seeing the smile on Tori's face was a welcoming one.

"That was really good," Tori said, not bothering to hide her surprise. "You might have a shot at winning those tickets."

"I suppose," Tom said, somewhat indifferent to Tori's words of encouragement. Tori found herself dumbstruck by the apparent lack of care he displayed towards the contest. Hell, even with her praise, it was like none of this mattered to him, the prizes offered least of all. "Anyway, if by some miracle I do wind them, just say I deferred them to you."

It didn't quite dawn on Tori just what Tom was implying until he was about to disappear into the crowd. "Wait!" She called out, reaching out and taking hold of his wrist, "You're not staying!?"

Tom shook his head, "Look, he said that you and I had to sing. You killed it, and I did my thing. I don't have all night to be able to listen to what, a hundred people sing. I do have shit to do tomorrow and I do need my sleep."

Chuck Mosely's voice boomed again through the speakers, "Our next contestant! Jade West!"

Hearing Jade's name being called, Tori found herself tightening her grip into Tom's wrist, "At least stay for one more!" She could see the desire in his eyes to leave, "Please? She's one of my closest friends!"

Although not keen himself on staying all that much longer here, it wasn't looking like a situation that he could get out of, certainly not with Tori's nails sinking further and further into his skin. If things kept up, she may have well pierced through his skin. "Alright! Alright I'll watch your friend perform. Just please, let go of my wrist!"

Tori let go as there came a round of applause with Jade taking the stage. Turning in that direction, she saw Jade, looking right at her, smiling at the sight of Tori applying a vice grip to Tom's arm. Tori dreaded just what sort of dirty thoughts might have been going through Jade's head at the sight; undoubtedly something that she was going to hear about once the night was over. But as the music began to play, Jade's focus shifted from – in her eyes – the new couple to the rest of the audience.

 _I knew you were,_

 _You were gonna come to me,_

 _And here you are._

 _But you better choose carefully,_

 _'Cause I'm capable of anything_

 _Of anything and everything._

 _Make me your Aphrodite._

 _Make me your one and only._

 _But don't make me your enemy, your enemy, your enemy..._

Throughout their time in Hollywood Arts, Jade had sung plenty of times before. Tonight though, it seemed like something had possessed her, causing Andre to think he was listening to someone different entirely. "Damn! Everyone's bringing their A game tonight!"

 _So you wanna play with magic?_

 _Boy, you should know whatcha falling for!_

 _Baby do you dare to do this_

 _'Cause I'm coming atcha like a dark horse!_

 _Are you ready for, ready for_

 _A perfect storm, a perfect storm_

 _'Cause once you're mine, once you're mine_

 _There's no going back!_

"Damn," Tom said aloud, his words being drowned out by the music blaring, though Tori was able to hear it, unable to do much more than nod in agreement and think that maybe Jade actually could win this.

The reaction from the crowd seemed to more rival that of what Tori had received earlier than that of Tom's performance, but that wasn't much of a shocker in itself. Jade was far from being a stranger when it came to performing and putting on a show, and this was proving to be no exception.

 _So you wanna play with magic?_

 _Boy, you should know whatcha falling for!_

 _Baby do you dare to do this_

 _'Cause I'm coming atcha like a dark horse!_

 _Are you ready for, ready for_

 _A perfect storm, a perfect storm_

 _'Cause once you're mine, once you're mine_

 _There's no going back!_

"Give it up for Jade West!" Chuck Mosely called out as applause overtook what pretty much anyone said during that time – and rightfully so.

Even Tori, who to a considerable degree figured that Jade was all talk earlier, couldn't help but respect the fact that Jade really did show up. _She is REALLY determined to win those tickets I guess. Doesn't look at that great for Andre and Beck…_

As the clapping died down, Tori felt a hand pat against her shoulder, turning her head slightly to see Tom, throwing up a hand as to indicate he was going. While she was disappointed by the fact that he wasted no time from the end of Jade's performance to leave, he did at least stay for her song. And even though she didn't want to admit it, she wasn't looking forward to having to wait to listen to everyone else who might have been a challenger. Outside of maybe Andre, Tori was pretty convinced that few, if anyone, could even contend to what she and Jade had dished out.

It had first been Tori who performed, followed by Tom – though the two of them were by intentional design – and then there was Jade after them. Tori hoped that this would continue with Andre performing next, though it didn't seem that it was meant to be. In fact, it seemed like every other person who wasn't named Andre that was being called to perform. At least though, there weren't nearly as many people who were actually entered into the contest as the people in the audience seemed to make it seem.

And not shockingly, perhaps only a small handful of those singing might have been able to contend against the initial trio.

But fortunately, the fact that there had been so much time that elapsed meant that there was actually room to maneuver through, which meant Tori was able to reunite with her friends without fear of having her phone snatched.

"Hey Vega! You couldn't think of a more original song to perform?" Jade immediately began, throwing a weak punch into Tori's shoulder.

Tori frowned as she gently rubbed her shoulder, actually feeling a little bit of pain from that punch. "Hey, it won it for me at Karaoke Dokie! Why not again?"

"You just performed that because you were scared! And you know it!" Jade continued to tease at Tori, the fact that it might have been the case seeming to loom over whatever comeback Tori might have come up with next. When it was clear that the Latina wasn't going to respond any further, Jade continued on, "So, where's your new boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Tori almost found herself yelling out, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Jade said something like that. And after seeing her practically trying to rip Tom's hand in a very easily misinterpret-able motion, why wouldn't Jade taunt her a bit?

"Keep telling yourself that Vega." Jade snickered as the latest mediocre performer finished. If there was anything that was to be gained from their time in Hollywood Arts, it was their ability to effectively block out bad singers as if they weren't there.

"And now, our final contestant of the night! Give it up for Andre Harris!" Mosely called out, met with much applause - no doubt to some degree because it meant the tickets would be rewarded and that some of them would be able to finally head home and get to sleep.

"Go get them Andre!" Tori exclaimed as he practically ran towards the stage, having been ready to perform since Jade had put on her performance.

His enthusiasm was equally well-received by the people, their clapping only seeming to grow louder as he reached the stage, the music almost immediately starting as that happened.

 _I see this life like a swinging vine_

 _Swing my heart across the line_

 _And my face is flashing signs_

 _Seek it out and you shall find_

 _Old, but I'm not that old_

 _Young, but I'm not that bold_

 _I don't think the world is sold_

 _I'm just doing what we're told_

 _I feel something so right_

 _Doing the wrong thing_

 _I feel something so wrong_

 _Doing the right thing_

 _I could lie, coudn't I, could lie_

 _Everything that kills me makes me feel alive!_

"You know, you gotta give it to Andre," Jade said, finding Andre's song all the more enjoyable having followed a medley of poorly performed ones. "He never seems to have a bad performance!"

 _Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming about the things that we could be_

 _But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,_

 _Said, no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be counting stars_

"He really doesn't!" Tori couldn't help but agree. If there were a word to describe Andre, consistent was certainly an appropriate one, but she preferred not to actually tell Andre that. Knowing him, that compliment would go right to his head.

 _Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming about the things that we could be_

 _But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,_

 _Said, no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be counting stars_

"And there we go! Give a huge round of applause to Andre Harris! And to each of our contestants tonight!"

As applause echoed throughout the Bruin's Den, it seemed like a perpetual state of excitement and anticipation swarmed the place. Everyone knew that all there was to come was the awarding of the tickets, and among the few people who might end up being the winner, hopefully the odds were in one of the group's favor. Add to it the fact that if Tom were to have won that Tori would get the tickets, it only seemed to sweeten their chances.

Taking a peak in the general direction that Chuck Mosely and O'Hennesy both still were, Tori had to suspect that he was consulting as to the judging, which made her all the more confident that she was going to win. After all, the director of her major, the one who had talked her up and was already putting huge faith and confidence in asking her to tutor Tom, if he were part of the judging, then there was no way he'd not vote for Tori!

"Well, we think we've come to a decision!" Mosely found himself stopping as applause and cheers roared out. "Now, it wasn't an easy one, much closer than I think any of the judges thought that it was going to be. But we did make our decision! The winner is…"

 **...**

 **Outside The Bruin's Den**

 **...**

"That's such bullshit!" Andre whined as they began the walk back to their apartment.

"Aww, what's the matter Andre?" Jade mockingly asked. Though it might not have been wholly apparent, she was elated at how things ended up going.

But Andre was hardly in the mood for it. "Don't give me that fake sympathy crap Jade! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

Jade held a hand over her heart, feigning a look of disgust. "You mean that the judges seemed to agree that I had the best performance of the group? That I, Jade West, was the winner of these four tickets?" The grin on her face as she pulled out the four tickets from her pocket seemed to stretch from ear to ear. A medley of frowns appeared among the rest of the group.

"I still can't believe that I didn't win… I was sure that if O'Hennesy was one of the judges that I'd have had it…" Tori remarked, still in a bit of disbelief herself. She wasn't as interested in the tickets perhaps as Andre or Beck might have been, but it was the fact that she – a Performing Arts student, having been highly praised with basically her mentor as one of the judges – didn't win. In the back of her mind, she was certain that she ended up disappointing O'Hennesy in some manner or another.

"Tori, I'm disappointed in you," Jade turned her focus from the groaning Andre to the Latina, "I would expect you to not rely on something as terrible as nepotism."

"Now now," Beck began, hoping to calm everyone down. Even though he was probably as disappointed as Andre was about the whole thing, he knew that showing that anger and frustration to Jade would just make things worse. "Jade, think you can maybe tone it down, just a little? After all, you won your tickets, like you said you were going to. No need to rub it in any further."

Jade moaned, knowing that if she didn't stop, Beck was just going to continue to berate her and try to make her feel guilty. "Fine!"

Tori couldn't help but notice in that moment how similar Jade and Tom seemed to have been. It was interesting, but at the same time, sort of terrifying too. "So, you going to sell those tickets Jade?"

"Well once we get back to the apartment, spread the word around, let people know I have these tickets. I'll know for certain by before the game tomorrow."

Andre groaned aloud, hating the idea of Jade selling those tickets. But unfortunately, there was nothing more that he could do about it, other than hope that Jade would do the right thing and give them the tickets.

And it was in realizing that wasn't going to happen that he realized that he and Beck were officially shit out of luck.

 **...**

 **Inside The Bruin's Den**

 **...**

To some degree, it was impressive. Not just the fact that the Bruin's Den had managed to not only house but entertain such a large crowd for so long, but also the fact that very shortly following the conclusion of the singing competition that it cleared out, practically at once. Within a matter of only about fifteen or so minutes, there remained no actual patrons left; the only occupants being Chuck Mosely and the rest of the staff. Well, them and the lone man who still remained at the bar, gently tapping his knuckles against the counter top, causing Mosely to reluctantly slide an empty glass from one end to the other, ending only as it landed in O'Hennesy's open palm. "I would have figured you to have left with the rest of the masses."

"Eager to see me gone are you?" The director sarcastically remarked, his voice sounding tired.

That same fatigue was evident in Mosely's voice as well. "Doubt it'd make much difference regardless how I answer that." He glanced at his friend for a moment before kneeling before the small safe let behind the counter, hearing the bolts click open as he entered the code. "So what'll it be?"

"Scotch," O'Hennesy ordered.

"Scotch?" Mosely rose an eyebrow as he lifted his head just above the counter to see his friend's face. "What've you got on your mind?"

"Other than a massive headache you mean?"

Mosely nodded, quickly filling O'Hennesy's glass with the liquor as he revealed a similar glass from seemingly nowhere, pouring himself a drink once he was done. "I don't blame ya. Don't get me wrong; I do support the idea of competition, but there are some people who honestly have no business being on stage." Cynical, but not entirely wrong. It wasn't as though the Bruin's Den would like to get a reputation for holding "elitist" singing competitions as people might interpret them to be, but there were some singers who were so bad that it almost seemed like the ideal situation.

O'Hennesy took a long sip from his glass, nodding in agreement as he put the glass down. "It didn't much help that my students didn't perform either." It didn't take a genius to tell that he was disappointed, and greatly so at that. "You know you're going to perform either tonight or on Monday, and at least here there's a chance to win something. Why not give it a shot?"

Mosely shrugged, "I agree. Couldn't say for certain whether or not they'd beat that other girl, but it'd make things a bit more interesting at least. And hey, at least your two pet projects performed. And were damn good while at it!"

"Well Tori certainly was. And Tom; I'll admit, there's some talent there. It's raw, certainly not what I want to hear out of a second year student. But there's at least something to work with, if he would stop being a pain in the ass about the whole thing, that is."

"No progress then I take it?"

O'Hennesy shook his head, "Among one of the reasons why they didn't have a choice in the performing."

"So what, a Hail Mary?"

"Pretty much."

Having been about to take a sip from his drink, Mosely found himself putting his glass onto the counter instead, a new thought coming into his head. "How about you just tell them the truth?"

"And say what?"

It sounded like the director viewed the idea as toxic, to which Mosely couldn't understand in the slightest. "I don't know. How about, "I could very well lose my job if you two don't end up agreeing to work together." Ever consider that?"

"Oh yeah, and when they ask me why that is and I tell them why, go through all the details into how and why Tom got accepted, how do you think he's going to feel?" He took another sip from his drink before looking right at Mosely, "Put yourself in his shoes. How would you feel?"

Mosely took a sip himself, thinking for a moment before finally responding, "I'd be fucking pissed. That and devastated."

O'Hennesy hit his hand on the counter, as if to signify that his friend had given the jackpot answer, "Exactly. And the fallout that might come out of it? Shit, I could think of at least half a dozen scenarios that lead to not just me losing my job, but the college paying too."

"So what're you going to do then? Force them to work together?"

There was a conflicted look on O'Hennesy's face. If there were any scenario that he didn't want, it would be that. "Hopefully it doesn't come to that. From what I've been able to gather, Tori's on board. I just don't know where Tom stands."

"Well, let's say that for the sake of argument, come Monday he's on board."

"That'd be something..." The optimism in his voice trailed away, giving way towards doubt.

"Yet you don't sound all that convinced," Mosely topped their drinks. It was a good thing it was a Friday night, as he couldn't imagine the idea of having to teach a class hungover.

O'Hennesy sighed, giving a weak smile towards Mosely, "I just think all things considered, he's won't play ball. I mean, I hope he does." He took another sip, "But I don't know if he will."

* * *

 **A/N: So apologies for this having taken so long to get out to you all. The last month has been, to say the least, hectic. But I'm not going to attribute that as the sole reason that this chapter has taken so long to get done. To some extent, it was because I struggled with determining who was going to sing what - and to that, here are the songs featured: Tori (Freak the Freak Out by Victoria Justice), Tom: (Am I Wrong by Nico & Vinz), Jade: (Dark Horse by Katy Perry), and Andre: (Counting Stars by One Republic). **

**As well, a while ago I had written in an A/N that I pretty much had the story all mapped out, and I've since been reevaluating some of the chapters, some of the things I had planned. Now granted, there are a couple of events which I still foresee happening, so I'm not saying that everything is changing, but certainly a good deal of this story moving forward is in the unknown. Now, I've been deliberately silent as far as the pairings go because at the time, I had a clear idea of how it'd play. But now, after mentally going through multiple ways the story could play out, I really just have no idea how it'll play.**

 **So to everyone who's enjoyed this story so far, my thanks go out to you. To those who've been reviewing, providing feedback, thank you as well. Hope you guys enjoy!**


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